1.   The court will allocate a file number to the case and endorse a date for a hearing or a directions appointment on the copies for service.

2.   It will inform the recipient of the date, time and place of the first directions appointment or hearing, as appropriate.

3.   In other cases early appointment is clearly desirable so that the guardian can attend the first directions appointment.

4.   The court is likely to fix a directions appointment in all cases but it is not obliged to do so.

5.   The directions appointment is a form of preliminary hearing before a single justice or clerk in the family proceedings court and a district judge in the county court.

6.   In most cases a date will be given for a directions appointment and this will be endorsed on the copy applications for service on the respondents.

7.   Very often a guardian ad litem will be appointed before the directions appointment so that he may attend.

8.   Others are entitled to be notified of the date, time and place of the first hearing or directions appointment but are not automatically parties.