New Circuit Court Family Law forms will come into effect on 23 November 2026.
The current forms will continue to be accepted up to and including 22 November 2026. From 23 November 2026, only the new forms will be accepted. The new forms should not be used before this date.
What's changing
A number of Circuit Court Family Law forms are being introduced or updated. The table below shows the new forms, what they are used for and the forms they replace.
Select a form name in the first column to view a copy of the new form.
| New form | What it is used for | Replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Family Law Civil Bill (Form 37E) | Applications for divorce, judicial separation and dissolution of a civil partnership. | Civil Bill (Form 2N) Civil Bill (Form 2S) |
| Family Law Civil Bill (Form 37F) | Other Circuit Court Family Law applications. | |
| Defence and Counterclaim (Form 37Z) | Used to respond to proceedings started using Family Law Civil Bill (Form 37E). | Defence (Form 6A) |
| Defence and Counterclaim (Form 37ZA) | Used to respond to proceedings started using Family Law Civil Bill (Form 37F). | |
| Appearance (Form 37B) | Used to enter an appearance in Circuit Court Family Law proceedings. | Entry of Appearance (Form 5B) |
| Affidavit of Means (Form 37A) | Used to provide financial information in Circuit Court Family Law proceedings where an Affidavit of Means is required. | Affidavit of Means (Form 37A) |
If you have any questions about the new forms, please contact familylawreform@courts.ie.
