These rules, which come into force on 1 July 2019, amend the Family Proceedings Rules 1981 (the principal rules) to alter an information sheet to accompany applications for, or for an order varying, discharging, or suspending, a maintenance order (other than a maintenance order to which Part 8 (overseas maintenance) of the Family Proceedings Act 1980 (the 1980 Act) applies). Cross-references to some revoked rules are revoked, and a reference to an associated respondent under the Domestic Violence Act 1995 is replaced with a reference to one under the replacement Family Violence Act 2018.

The principal rules apply (see rule 2 of those rules) only to the District Court’s very limited jurisdiction under the 1980 Act and the Care of Children Act 2004. Generally, only the Family Court has jurisdiction under Part 6 of the 1980 Act, and the Family Court Rules 2002 apply to proceedings in a Family Court (as those proceedings are defined in rule 5(5) of those rules). However, a District Court Judge, and the District Court, respectively, have jurisdiction under sections 82 (interim maintenance) and 99 (discharge, variation, and suspension of maintenance orders) in Part 6 of the 1980 Act.