Form 10: Application for Case Management Order

What counts as a case-management order?

Rules 62 and 63 describe the powers of judges and family justice managers. Possible topics include disclosure deadlines, changing the way documents are served, correcting filed documents, adding or removing a party, participation at appearances and adjournments. Not every decision is within a family justice manager’s powers. Check the provision that matches the order you are asking for.

How to complete Form 10

1. Identify the specific procedural order you want and the rule that authorizes it. If you seek a substantive parenting or support order instead, check whether Form 3 or another procedure is required.
2. Enter the court file information and list each party or other person who may be directly affected by the requested order.
3. State what you want the court to order and provide concise reasons. Gather records or other evidence supporting the request.
4. Complete the relevant sections in the official Form 10 and confirm the hearing or appearance arrangements with the registry.
5. Under Rule 64, file and serve Form 10 plus supporting material at least 7 days before the specified court appearance on each other party and every person who may be directly affected.
6. Keep service records and prepare to explain why the order fits the relevant rule at the appearance.

Form 10 versus Form 11

Form 10 is the ordinary case-management application under Rule 64. Rule 65 allows Form 11 without notice or attendance only for specified kinds of orders under Rules 62 and 63. Do not assume every scheduling or disclosure request can be made secretly or without a court appearance.

If everyone agrees: a case-management consent order

Form 10 also has an agreed-order route. Under Rule 83, the parties can apply for a case-management order by consent and say whether they want a court appearance. If they are not asking for an appearance, they must file a proposed consent order using Form 18, signed by the parties or their lawyers, along with Form 10. The judge or family justice manager can approve it, ask for more information, require attendance or reject it.

Do not confuse this with an agreed parenting or support order. A substantive family-law consent order usually uses a different application, Form 17, with its own supporting requirements. Rule 64’s normal 7-day notice pathway concerns a Form 10 with a court appearance; the agreed no-appearance procedure is described separately in Rules 83–84.

Before you file: five things to check

1. Which specific case-management direction is wanted?
2. Does Rule 62 or 63 let this decision-maker make that order?
3. Is this a regular appearance, or does everyone agree to a proposed order?
4. Have all parties and other directly affected people been identified?
5. Are the supporting papers and service steps complete? For the regular appearance path, Rule 64 requires filing and service at least seven days beforehand.

For line-by-line assistance with the government form, open the official Form 10 guidebook (PDF).

Changing orders made while you were absent

Rules 54 and 55 allow an eligible party to ask to change, suspend or cancel certain orders made at a family management conference in their absence, using Form 10 and supporting materials. Those rules include additional conditions and a requirement to apply within a reasonable time. A family justice manager cannot use this to change an order made by a judge (Rule 57).

Worked example

Common mistake

Using Form 10 for a new substantive family-law order, serving only the other party while omitting another directly affected person, or treating Form 11 as the default short-cut.