Prepare for and appear in court
Getting ready for your court appearance
You'll be appearing in Chambers where the applicant will ask a judge/master to make the orders that the applicant wants. See What happens in a Supreme Court Chambers hearing? to find out more.
Adjourning the hearing
If the date on the Notice of Application (Form F31) won't work out for some reason (for example, if you're not ready), you must still go to court and stand up and ask for an adjournment. If you really can't go to court on that day, ask someone to go in your place to ask for an adjournment. This person will need an affidavit — or at least a signed letter — from you explaining the circumstances. You'll have to give a good reason for asking for an adjournment. If you don't show up in court that day, the judge/master may make the order the other person asks for in your absence and the judge/master may order costs against you.
If you come to an agreement
If you and the applicant come to an agreement about any of the orders that the applicant wants before the hearing, you should both go to court on the date set for the hearing to tell the judge/master that you've both agreed. If you don't want to go to court, you can tell the applicant that his or her application is undefended (uncontested). See Get an interim order in Supreme Court if you agree.