Form E deadline calculator
These dates are arithmetic from the rules below, not advice about your case. Some applications follow a different, fast-track timetable. Always go by the dates in your court notice.
The rules behind the dates
| Date | How it's worked out | Source |
|---|---|---|
| First appointment | Not less than 12 weeks and not more than 16 weeks after the application is filed | FPR 9.12(1)(a) |
| Form E exchanged and filed | Not less than 35 days before the first appointment, as clear days: 36 calendar days before | FPR 9.14(1), FPR 2.9 |
| Concise statement of issues, chronology, questionnaire, Form G | Not less than 14 days before the first appointment, as clear days: 15 calendar days before | FPR 9.14(5), FPR 2.9 |
| Pension CE request received by the scheme | 6 weeks before your Form E deadline. A scheme must provide it within 6 weeks if told it's needed for divorce or dissolution proceedings that have started | reg 2(5)(b) |
| Pension valuation date | No more than a year old at the first appointment | Form E notes |
What "clear days" means
Under FPR 2.9, a period of days before an event doesn't count the day the period ends or the day of the event itself. So "not less than 35 days before" a first appointment on Wednesday 13 January 2027 means 35 full days in between, and Form E is due by Tuesday 8 December 2026.
Weekends and bank holidays
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, the calculator flags it and shows the last working day before, which is the cautious choice. FPR 2.9(5) has its own rule for acts done at a court office that is closed. Go by your court notice. Bank holidays are checked to the end of 2028 (GOV.UK).
For what goes in each section, see the Form E guide.
The Form E Organiser works out these dates, adds up totals A to L, tracks 12 months of statements and has the pension letter with the 6-week notice ready to send.