Family court bundle under PD 27A: one indexed e-bundle PDF
Practice Direction 27A of the Family Procedure Rules sets out how bundles for family hearings in England and Wales are put together. Upload your documents, arrange them into sections, and get one PDF with an unnumbered index at the front, section page numbers (A1, A2, then B1) and a bookmark with the page number for every section and document. The index and first pages are free; the whole bundle is $5, one payment.
- Section numbering as PD 27A describes it: each section starts again at its letter, the index is not paginated
- Every page fitted to A4; landscape pages stay landscape
- Bookmarks for every section and document, showing the page number
- Index in 12 point type, with clickable lines
- Shows a warning when the bundle passes 350 pages
- PDF Tenancy agreement.pdf 14 pages
- PDF Deposit receipt scan.pdf 1 page, scanned
- HEIC IMG_2041.HEIC photo of the ceiling
- ZIP WhatsApp Chat - Landlord.zip 412 messages
- MBOX Tenancy dispute.mbox 23 emails
- PDF Repair request letter.pdf 2 pages
Index
Ali v Landlord Ltd
Deposit and repairs claim · hearing bundle
| No. | Document | Date | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Tenancy documents | 2–17 | |
| 1 | Tenancy agreement | 1 Sep 2023 | 2–15 |
| 2 | Deposit receipt | 1 Sep 2023 | 16 |
| 3 | Letter requesting repairs | 15 Jan 2024 | 17 |
| B | Correspondence | 18–41 | |
| 4 | Emails with the landlord | 8 Jan 2024 | 18–41 |
| C | Messages | 42–63 | |
| 5 | WhatsApp chat with landlord | 3 Dec 2023 | 42–63 |
| D | Photographs | 64 | |
| 6 | Photograph of bathroom ceiling | 20 Jan 2024 | 64 |
Page 1 of 64ALI-000001
Demo documents from a made-up tenancy dispute. WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Gmail and Outlook are trademarks of their owners; NoCutoff is not affiliated with them. NoCutoff formats bundles and does not give legal advice.
What PD 27A says about the bundle
The current Practice Direction 27A came into force on 2 March 2026. It applies to hearings in the family court and in the Family Division of the High Court (para 2.1), and says a bundle should be an e-bundle unless the court considers there are exceptional circumstances (para 4.2). By default the applicant prepares it (para 4.5).
An e-bundle "may only be up to 350 pages (A4 size pages)" unless the court gives permission (para 11.2(b)). It must be a PDF, numbered by computer rather than by hand, with sections and significant documents bookmarked and the bookmark containing the page number (para 11.2). The rule calls section numbering (A1, A2, then B1) the Bates numbering system (para 1.2). In cases other than financial remedies, each section is in chronological order from the front, with an index at the beginning that is not paginated (para 7.2).
The order of sections
For cases other than financial remedy cases, para 7.3 lists the contents in this order: preliminary documents; applications and orders; statements and affidavits; care plans where they apply; experts' reports and other reports, including those of a children's guardian; relevant medical records; relevant police disclosure; in public law cases, for a case management hearing, the child's birth certificate or an equivalent; and other relevant documents. Preliminary documents are numbered as Section A (para 7.12). Financial remedy cases use a shorter list (para 6.3) and continuous Arabic page numbers that match the PDF (para 6.2), which is the "Page X of Y" style here.
In the tool you name the sections yourself and put them in any order, so you can follow the list that applies to your hearing.
Documents the rule leaves out unless the court directs
Para 5.2 says the bundle should contain only documents relevant to the hearing that the court needs to read or that will actually be referred to, and that some kinds of document are left out unless the court directs otherwise. They include correspondence; copies of emails, text messages, WhatsApp messages or other social media communications; voice notes and recordings; bank statements and other financial records; and photographs. The tool can add chats, emails and photos to a bundle because other courts and tribunals accept them, but whether they belong in your family bundle is for the court's directions, not for this tool.
NoCutoff formats the bundle; it does not decide what goes in it and does not give legal advice. If you are unsure, check the order made in your case or ask the court.
How the tool works, what it costs and how your files are handled is on the Court Bundle Builder page; prices for every tool are on the pricing page.
Last updated
Questions and answers
Is the index numbered?
Not in section numbering, because PD 27A para 7.2(b) says the index at the beginning should not be paginated. You can switch index numbering on if your court asks for it.
What if my bundle is over 350 pages?
The screen warns you. PD 27A limits an e-bundle to 350 A4 pages unless the court gives permission, so you would need to leave documents out or ask the court. The tool will still build a longer bundle if you need one.
Can I add documents later?
Yes. Upload a new job with the extra documents, or rebuild with a new order. PD 27A para 7.16 says new documents go at the end of the relevant section, so the numbers already given do not change; place new documents last in their section to keep that.
How much does it cost?
The index and the first pages are free without an account. The whole bundle is $5, paid once, with the bundle PDF, the index PDF and a CSV.