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Guide
Your first hearing (FHDRA)
In short
- The first hearing is usually called the FHDRA: First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment.
- It's normally short, often under an hour, and usually no evidence is heard.
- The judge or magistrates look at safety first, then try to help you agree. If you can't, they decide what happens next.
- Be calm, child-focused and ready with a short, realistic proposal.
What the hearing is for
The FHDRA is the court's first look at your case. It isn't a trial. The court will usually:
- read the Cafcass safeguarding letter and check for any risks to the children or either parent
- find out what you each want and where you agree
- see if anything can be agreed today, even a temporary arrangement
- decide what's needed if you can't agree, such as a section 7 report, statements, drug or alcohol testing, or a fact-finding hearing
- set a timetable and list the next hearing
If you and the other parent agree everything, the court can make a final order at the FHDRA, as long as it's safe and in the children's interests.
Child Focused Courts: some areas, including all of Wales, Dorset, West Yorkshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, use a newer "Child Focused Court" process (it used to be called Pathfinder). There, Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru speaks to the family early and writes a Child Impact Report before the first hearing, so the first hearing may look a bit different. More areas are joining during 2026 and 2027. Your court letter will tell you which route your case is on.
Who will be there
- A district judge, a legal adviser with magistrates, or sometimes a circuit judge
- You and the other parent, plus any solicitor or barrister they have
- Sometimes a Cafcass officer, at court or by video
- Your McKenzie friend, if you have one. Ask the court at the start for permission for them to sit with you
Children cases are heard in private. Friends and family can't usually come into the room.
How to prepare
- Read everything you've been sent. That means the application (C100), any C1A allegations of harm form, the Cafcass letter and the notice of hearing.
- Write a short position statement. One or two pages saying what you're asking for and why. See the position statement guide.
- Have a realistic proposal ready. For example, "every other weekend Friday to Sunday, plus a tea-time visit on Wednesdays, starting with daytime visits for the first month". Courts take dads seriously when the plan is specific and starts sensibly.
- Check your diary. Bring dates you can and can't do for the next few months.
- Bring: your papers, a pen and notepad, your position statement (3 copies), and any key documents such as school reports or messages, but don't bring piles of evidence.
On the day
- Arrive early. Security checks can take time. Tell the usher you've arrived.
- If you've raised concerns about safety, ask the court for separate waiting areas. You can ask for this in advance.
- You may be asked to talk to the other side, or their solicitor, before you go in. You don't have to agree to anything you're not comfortable with.
- In the hearing, stand or sit as told, call a district judge "Sir" or "Madam" and magistrates "Your worships" or "Sir/Madam".
- Keep answers short. Talk about your children, not about your ex.
- Write down exactly what's ordered and any dates. You'll get a written order afterwards, usually by email.
What dads often get wrong
- Arriving with a long list of complaints about the other parent. The court is looking forward, not back.
- Asking for everything at once. A stepped plan that builds up time is often more persuasive.
- Not reading the Cafcass letter carefully, and being caught off guard by what's in it.
- Losing your temper. Stay calm even if things are said that you know aren't true. You'll get the chance to respond in the right way.
After the hearing
Read the order carefully as soon as it arrives. Put every deadline in your phone: when your statement is due, when the section 7 report should arrive, and the date of the next hearing. Missing a deadline makes a bad impression and can delay your case.
This guide is general information about private children cases in England and Wales, checked in October 2026. It isn't legal advice for your situation. Rules and fees change, and every case is different. If you're unsure, ask the court, or speak to a solicitor. Some parents qualify for legal aid, especially where there's domestic abuse.