PRACTICE DIRECTION 6C – DISCLOSURE OF ADDRESSES BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

This PD applies to applications issued by the court on or after 6 April 2022. For applications issued by the court before 6 April 2022 see the following link.

This Practice Direction supplements Part 6 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010

PRACTICE DIRECTION 6C – DISCLOSURE OF ADDRESSES BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

When this Practice Direction applies

1.1 This Practice Direction applies when the court makes an order, having the power to do so, or makes a request, for the purposes of-

a) tracing the address of a party, or a prospective party, to family proceedings, or

b) tracing the whereabouts of a child, or the person with whom a child is said to be.

Information to include in an order or request

2.1 Where an order or a request to which this Practice Direction applies is made by the court, it must contain as much as possible of the following information about the person sought-

(a) National Insurance number;

(b) surname;

(c) forenames in full;

(d) date of birth (or, if not known, approximate age);

(e) last known address, with date when living there;

(f) any other known address(es) with respective dates; and

(g) where the proceedings or prospective proceedings relate to an application for a financial remedy, the exact date of any relevant marriage and the name of the spouse or former spouse.

Addresses to which orders or requests should be sent

3.1 Where an order or request to which this Practice Direction applies is directed at the Department for Work and Pensions, it must be sent by email by the court to: rightofaccess.requests@dwp.gov.uk.

3.2 Where an order or request to which this Practice Direction applies is directed at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it must be sent by the court- (a) by email to customer.relations.unit.cbo@hmrc.gov.uk; or (b) in hard copy to:

HMRC Child Benefit Office

Waterview Park

Washington

NE38 8QG

Points to be noted

4.1 Standard forms of order to be used to make an order or request for disclosure of an address are available on the Judiciary website (https://www.judiciary.uk).

4.2 It is understood that HMRC will require an order or request for disclosure of an address to be made in the High Court. Practice Direction 29C refers to the possibility of transferring proceedings from the family court to the High Court for this purpose.

4.3 This Practice Direction may be amended from time to time to alter the contact details set out above, or to add in contact details for other Government Departments.

Ministry of Justice

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