I've a Final Hearing in a few weeks, and wondering how it all works.
S25 statements and open offers have been completed and exchanged.
How does the hearing play out?
Might the judge say that one of us is being daft right from the start? - and thus encourage bringing everything to a quick closure?
Can the other party change their Open Offer at the last minute (or even during the hearing)? Or is it just Without Prejudice offers at this stage now?
Who gives evidence and in what order? And how many rounds of evidence?
Do they always take as long as they are scheduled for? - or is the scheduled duration more of a back-stop, and it might all be done and dusted in half the time?
How forensic are judges, or do they tend to be more high-level?
To what extent are the Open Offers generally taken into account for a judge deciding a settlement, or do judges tend to make up their own view?
If things have got this far, how likely is it that the other party will want to settle at the last minute?
Thanks