The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1999

Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(1)

6.  For rule 3.9 there shall be substituted the following—

“Transfer of certain tenancies on divorce etc or on separation of cohabitees

3.9.—(1) The jurisdiction of the court under Article 30 of and Schedule 2 to the Order of 1998 may be exercised by the Master.

(2) An application is made for an order under Part II of Schedule 2 to the Order of 1998 notice of the application shall be served by the applicant on the other cohabitant or spouse and on the landlord (as those terms are defined by paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Order of 1998) and any person so served shall be entitled to be heard on the application.

(3) The applicant shall file a statement of service on Form F4 after he has served notice of application in accordance with paragraph (2).

(4) Any person who is served with a notice of application under paragraph (2) above shall, if he intends to contest the application, within 14 days of service of that notice, file a statement which is signed by him and sworn to be true in answer to the application setting out the grounds on which he relies and shall arrange for a copy of that statement to be served on the applicant personally.

(5) If a statement is not filed under paragraph (4) above, the applicant may apply for directions and the court may give such directions as it thinks fit, including a direction that the respondent shall be debarred from defending the application unless a statement is filed in accordance with paragraph (4) within such time as the court may direct.

(6) Rules 2.64(4) to (7) (investigation by Master of application for ancillary relief) shall apply with the necessary modifications to an application for an order under Part II of Schedule 2 to the Order of 1998 as they apply to an application for ancillary relief.”.