Can WhatsApp messages go in a family court bundle?
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
Short answer: Usually not as a whole chat. In the Family Court of England and Wales, Practice Direction 27A (in force 2 March 2026) says in para 5.2 that copies of text messages and WhatsApp messages must not be included in the bundle unless the court directs otherwise. Check your own case directions.
This page is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Your directions and the judge decide what goes in. Check the current text of the practice direction on justice.gov.uk, and check with the court or a solicitor. A later amendment dated 24 March 2026 exists. We have not reviewed it.
What the practice direction says
Short answer: Para 5.2 limits the bundle to relevant documents and says WhatsApp and other text messages must not be included unless the court directs otherwise. Voice notes and other recordings are in the same category (para 5.2).
The words are "must not", not "should not". The same paragraph does not stop specific documents the court needs to read from being included. A court can also direct that particular messages go in.
In plain terms, a long chat export is the wrong thing to drop in by default. A small number of chosen messages may be right if the court asks for them or you have been told you can include them.
If you think messages matter to your case
Short answer: Decide which few messages the court needs to read, then ask the court, the other side or your solicitor how they should be included. Courts give directions case by case.
- Read through the chat and mark only the messages that matter to a point the court must decide.
- Write one line on why each matters.
- Check your court order or directions. If they do not mention messages, ask whether a direction or permission is needed.
- If you are told to include them, put the selected messages where you are told, with page numbers the court can point to.
The court office can explain process but cannot give legal advice.
Using a chronology instead
Short answer: A chronology is a short, dated list of events. Under para 8.1 it is capped at 10 pages in an e-bundle (10 A4 sheets on paper) unless the court directs otherwise.
You describe what happened in your own words and point to the relevant bundle page. Entries should be short, one sentence if practicable, and cross-referenced to bundle pages (para 7.10(f)). A 10-page cap also means a message-by-message transcript does not belong in a chronology.
More in the PD27A chronology and e-bundle checklist.
Format if messages are allowed in
Short answer: E-bundles must be PDF, up to 350 A4 pages, with bookmarks, an index and OCR on typed-text pages (para 11.2). Anything you include has to fit that layout.
A screenshot is a picture, so it cannot be searched and is hard to number. See screenshot or WhatsApp export? for the trade-offs, and how to export a WhatsApp chat to PDF with dates for the dated PDF.
Where VaultXT fits
Short answer: VaultXT turns an exported chat into dated, numbered pages with bookmarks, plus a chronology of one-sentence entries that point to bundle pages. You choose the messages. It does not decide what a court will accept.
Use Make a pack to pick messages and build the pages on your own device. Check a pack then checks each quote against the original chat. The pack is an organised record for your own preparation, to give a solicitor, or for use if the court directs messages in.
VaultXT is not a law firm and cannot promise any court will accept a document.
Questions people ask
Can I put my whole WhatsApp chat in the bundle?
Probably not without a direction from the court. Para 5.2 says messages must not be included unless the court directs otherwise.
What if one message is really important?
Raise it with the court or your solicitor. The practice direction does not prevent specific documents the court needs to read from being included.
Are voice notes treated differently?
They are named in the same part of the practice direction (para 5.2). Ask for a direction before including them.
Does this apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Australia?
No. Practice Direction 27A is for family proceedings in England and Wales. Other places have their own rules, which this page does not cover.
Who do I ask?
Your solicitor, the court office, or a free advice service. This page cannot advise on your case.
Not legal advice. This is general information, not legal advice. VaultXT is not a law firm and cannot promise that any court, tribunal, scheme, bank or seller will accept a document.