FP25 form: summon a witness to attend court or bring documents
Form FP25 is the witness summons used in family proceedings. It requires a witness to attend court to give evidence, to produce documents, or both.
Fill in the FP25 form with Wren
How Wren helps with the FP25
Official forms are written for lawyers. With Wren you do not have to decode this one on your own, and you still follow the court’s procedure.
- Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the FP25 becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
- Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
- The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official FP25. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
- What comes next, kept with your caseWhat usually happens after you send it, with the dates worked out from the published rules.
Time and money
- On your own
- A day or more
- With Wren
- About an hour for most forms
- Solicitor for this form
- £740 to £1,2403 to 5 hours
A solicitor’s time for the FP25 can run to £1,240. With Wren it is part of £19.99 a month, and it takes about an hour for most forms rather than a day or more.
Times and hours are Wren’s estimates for a typical case, not quotes. Solicitor costs are those hours at £247 an hour, the courts’ guideline rate for a solicitor with over four years’ experience, outside London (GOV.UK, Solicitors' guideline hourly rates (in effect from 1 January 2026)). The guideline runs from £200 to £295 an hour outside London depending on experience, firms set their own rates, and VAT is added on top.
Key facts
- Official title
- Witness summons: Form FP25
- Edition
- 03.16 (2 pages).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Permission
- The court's permission is needed to issue a summons less than 7 days before the final hearing, or for attendance on a date other than the final hearing (FPR 24.3).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Binding
- A summons binds the witness only if served at least 7 days before the date of attendance, unless the court directs otherwise (FPR 24.4).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Service
- The party serves it unless they ask the court in writing to serve it (FPR 24.5).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Expenses
- The witness is offered money for travel to and from court and for loss of time (FPR 24.6).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the FP25
A party who wants someone to be required to come to a hearing, or to produce documents, when they will not come voluntarily.
When it is used
Before a hearing where the evidence is needed, usually the final hearing. There is one summons for each witness (FPR 24.2).
Before you start
- The case number and the court, and the hearing date.
- The witness's name and address.
- If documents are to be produced, exactly which documents.
How to fill in the FP25
Open each part for what it asks and how to answer it. In Wren, each part is a few plain questions, and your answers fill in the form.
Page 1: the summons
The court, case, witness, the date, time and place to attend, whether to give evidence or produce documents, the sum paid or offered, and the issuing party's details.
Page 2: certificate of service
Completed by an officer of the court when the court serves the summons.
Prepare your FP25 with Wren Family
Wren Family turns official forms into short, plain-English questions you can answer at your own pace. You check everything before you send it: nothing goes to the court for you.
Get startedFree for 14 days, no card. Then £19.99 a month, with your money back within 14 days if it’s not right.
What happens after you send it
Once issued and served, the witness must attend as the summons says. The court decides whether to issue a summons, and can set one aside or vary it (FPR 24.3).
Common mistakes
- Serving the summons less than 7 days before the attendance date.
- Not offering the witness money for travel and loss of time.
- Describing documents too vaguely for the witness to know what to bring.
Common questions
Is there a fee?
EX50 does not list a family fee for a witness summons. Ask the court office.
Can the court serve it for me?
Yes, if you ask in writing; you may then need to deposit the money for the witness with the court (FPR 24.5).
Where these facts come from
These are the official rules and pages this page is based on. They are listed so you can check a detail for yourself; you do not need them to use Wren. They are outside Wren and open in a new tab.