Varying maintenance and first appointments hearing

My ex husband has applied to vary our financial agreement and our first hearing is next week. Does anyone have any experience of the procedure ? Who provides the electronic bundle ? And what exactly is a directions order ?
Can you appoint a barrister right up to the hearing date although the court presumes you are representing yourself. Has anyone experience of this ?

You are free to engage the services of a barrister but you would be hard-pushed to get a barrister a day before the hearing or even a week before the hearing.

The bundle would normally be prepared by the Applicant unless the Applicant was self-representing AND the Respondent had legal representation by a solicitor.

The first hearing is know as the FDR, the First Directions Appointment. This hearing is a case management hearing when the judge decides what the parties must do in order to progress the matter. The order contains directions for which the parties must comply e.g. answer a questionnaire, obtain a valuation etc.

Charles

Thank you so much for that information. Really helpful. Yes it makes sense. We need to move forward and have it resolved so we both get closure. Had to be fair though. I guess this furlough has caused many cases to go to court.