Where to get advice about representing yourself in family court.
If you have a Family Law problem, you may need to represent yourself. This guide is about where to get advice about how to represent yourself in family court, including a video guide.
Could you get help with your case?
How do I represent myself in family court?
Where can I get advice about this?
Family law advice online and locally
Could you get help with your case?
If you need help paying for legal advice, you may be able to get help through legal aid. This only applies in some situations. To see if this applies to you, read the information from Citizens Advice: when you can get legal aid.
- Check if you can get legal aid in a few steps on GOV.UK: check if you can get legal aid
Going to court can be expensive. There is an alternative called Mediation, which is where a qualified mediator helps you and your ex-partner to resolve your issues without going to court. This is not the same thing as relationship counselling – the mediator is trying to help you agree arrangements for the future, and not try and get you back together. You may also be able to get help for mediation through legal aid.
If you need to know more about Family Mediation, watch this short video about Mediation
Top tip:
- check whether you could get legal aid for your case
Your rights around family issues can be complicated. If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities about family issues, you should get more detailed advice.
How do I represent myself in family court?
This video guide has been created by the advice website, Advice Now. It will tell you:
- what to expect in a family court hearing
- how you should try and act in the court
- how to represent yourself as best as possible
You can also get some more information about going to court without a solicitor from Advice Now:
Advice Now: applying for a court order for arrangements about children
Advice Now: how to get a divorce or civil partnership without a lawyer
Top tip:
- watch the video for tips on how to represent yourself in family court
Your rights around family issues can be complicated. If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities about family issues, you should get more detailed advice.
Where can I get advice about this?
Need to find a solicitor near you? Use the Law Society’s search engine. Law Society: Find a solicitor
Rights of Women have information on legal and getting advice. Rights of Women: Family Law information
Coram Childrens Legal Centre has factsheets giving legal advice, including a guide on attending court: Coram Children’s Legal Centre – How to Guide Attending Court. They also have a Child Law Advice Line.
Top tips:
- Prepare for Family Court by getting advice about your case
Your rights around family issues can be complicated. If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities about family issues, you should get more detailed advice.
Family Law advice online and locally
Your rights around family issues can be complicated. If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities about family issues, you should get advice. See below for your options.
National helplines:
Online:
- Advice Now – going to court
- Citizens Advice – Relationships
- Coram Children’s Legal Centre factsheets
- GOV.UK – represent yourself in court
- Family Court Information – for families in the Bristol, Bath and North Somerset area
Face-to-face: go to our Advice Directory and click ‘Family’. This will give you:
- Advice – face-to-face help
- Self-help – online resources and national advice helplines that you can access yourself
- Support- organisations offering support