Messages in a family court bundle (England and Wales)
Updated 30 October 2026
If you are going to a family court hearing without a lawyer, you may have to prepare or add to the court bundle. Here is how messages usually fit in. It is not legal advice; always follow any directions the court has given in your case.
Short answer
Export the whole chat, turn it into a page-numbered transcript and exhibit the relevant part to your witness statement, with an entry in the bundle index. Family court e-bundles are limited to 350 pages unless the court allows more, so include the messages that matter and keep the complete export ready.
The rules in short
Practice Direction 27A sets out how family court bundles are prepared. The points that matter most for messages:
- E-bundles are PDF files and may be up to 350 A4 pages; going over needs the court's permission.
- Every page must be numbered by computer, not by hand.
- The bundle starts with an index, and documents are arranged in order within each section.
- The court's own directions in your case come first, including deadlines for sending the bundle.
Why an export beats screenshots
Family barrister Lucy Reed has pointed out that scrolling and screenshotting a long chat adds pages, is hard to follow and often duplicates or misses messages. WhatsApp's Export chat gives the whole thread with dates and times, and comparing both people's exports can show whether anything was deleted.
Step by step
- 1Export the chat from WhatsApp (Export chat, Without media is usually enough for text).
- 2Open it in chatview, set the dates to the period that matters and mark the key messages.
- 3Redact details about other people that are not relevant, keeping the position and time of each redacted message visible.
- 4Make an Evidence Pack with an exhibit label. Exhibits are often labelled with the witness's initials and a number, such as JS1.
- 5Refer to the exhibit in your witness statement and add it to the bundle index with its page range.
- 6Keep the original export file and your phone in case the other side or the court asks to check them.
Witness statements and the statement of truth
Witness statements end with a statement of truth in set wording. chatview's England and Wales template adds that wording after the transcript, with the export details filled in, for you to check, complete and sign. It is a template, not legal advice.
Questions
Can I include the whole chat?
Only if it is all relevant and fits the page limit. Otherwise include the relevant period, list the key messages first and say the full export is available if anyone needs it.
Does the transcript count toward the 350 pages?
Yes. Everything in the e-bundle counts, so choose the date range carefully and leave out what the court does not need.
Sources
Checked on 30 October 2026. Prices and features change; check each site before you buy.