Court bundles & the "20-minute reality" — making the judge's reading easy

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-28

Why this guide exists

Judges do not read your whole bundle. They read the index, your position statement and the parts they need — often in the 15–20 minutes before the hearing. A bundle that makes that easy wins you goodwill and makes each point land. A messy one buries your case.

The 20-minute reality

Before a typical family hearing the judge has a large stack of bundles. They will usually:

1. Read the index 2. Read each party's position statement (1–2 sides) 3. Dip into the orders, the CAFCASS letter and the specific evidence they need 4. Skim witness statements

Everything you want the judge to actually read should be signpostable in under a minute from the index and your position statement.

The bundle that works

Index first — page-numbered, matching the actual pages
Chronological order where possible (or the court's directed order)
Position statement at front referencing evidence by page ("the invoice at p.17; the police ref at p.23")
One page one number, bottom right, continuous
No pagination errors — a duplicated or skipped page number is where credibility leaks
Label exhibits in your witness statement by bundle page, not just by exhibit letter

Your position statement: the 1-page lever

This single side is almost always the whole first impression. Make it:

A clean heading (case reference, your name)
"What I am asking for" (one line)
3–5 bullet reasons, each ending in a bundle page reference
A closing "I am willing to [mediate / attend a programme]" if genuine (see our mediation and SPIP guides)

Common mistakes to avoid

Piling in 40 pages of screenshots with no index or reference
Sending two versions of the same document
Unpaginated early drafts
Relying on a witness statement's "see exhibit" that points nowhere

Official link

Practice Direction 27A: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/family/practice_directions

This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with HMCTS or gov.uk.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.