74. After rule 29.16, insert—
29.17.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), a court may transfer a case to another court, either of its own initiative or on the application of one of the parties if—
(a)the parties consent to the transfer;
(b)the court has held a hearing to determine whether a transfer should be ordered; or
(c)paragraph (2) applies.
(2) A court may transfer a case without a hearing if—
(a)the court has notified the parties in writing that it intends to order a transfer; and
(b)no party has, within 14 days of the notification being sent, requested a hearing to determine whether a transfer should be ordered.
(3) A case may not be transferred from the family court to the High Court unless—
(a)the decision to transfer was made by a judge sitting in the family court who is a person to whom paragraph (4) applies; or
(b)one or more of the circumstances specified in Practice Direction 29C applies.
(4) This paragraph applies to a person who is—
(a)the President of the Family Division;
(b)an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal (including the vice-president, if any, of either division of that court);
(c)a puisne judge of the High Court.
29.18. The Part 18 procedure applies to an application to the family court for existing proceedings to be heard in a different Designated Family Judge area.
(Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service publishes information to enable Designated Family Judge areas to be identified.)”.