Directions
After allocation questionnaires have been received the Court will make directions, or rules for the next steps needed on a case, which the parties have to comply with before final hearing. They are generally set out to attempt to ensure that the case is fully prepared for the date of the hearing.
Examples include:-
A. Witness Statements – Anyone other than an expert providing an account of events for the final hearing should usually do so in a statement and the Court usually expects these in advance of the hearing.
B. If a party is relying on expert evidence, from a surveyor for instance, the Court will often require a report to be completed in advance.
C. the Court can order the date for payment of a fee if it has not been paid yet
D. Requirement to Clarify – this is a unusual direction where some further information is needed by the Court in order to understand what one party’s case is.
E. Disclosure – where the Court directs or orders the parties to send the documents that relate to the case to the other party.
Sometimes the Court issues directions as ‘unless orders’. These are directions which, if not complied with, will result in something detrimental to the defaulting party including the case being struck out.
These should be taken extremely seriously.
