Support
There are many organisations who provide emotional, practical and legal support to children and families involved in family breakdown and divorce.
Below are some links to information which you may find useful.
Information for people involved in family court proceedings
- 0800 144 8848
Charity offering confidential advice and information on a wide range of issues, including family law, online, over the phone and in person, for free.
- 0845 345 4 345
Free and confidential advice service, paid for by legal aid, that help people deal with a wide variety of legal problems, including family law.
Independent organisation of professionals offering divorce information and advice to people based in the UK, and internationally with a UK connection.
Guide produced by the Bar Council to help people who are involved in court proceedings without a lawyer. This is referred to by the court as as being a Litigant in Person (LiP.)
Gov.uk website where information can be found regarding court forms, court fees and help with fees and online court applications can be made.
- 020 3841 0300
A community of family law solicitors, and other family justice professionals, who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way, which is enshrined in their Code of Practice. Resolution members can be searched for by post code.
- 0808 800 444
Charity that helps people with housing problems and/or homelessness through advice, support and legal services.
- 0300 081 0006 (National) / 020 7421 8533 (London)
Organisation who supports people who are representing themselves in court. They can help with filling out court forms and sometimes with attending court also.
Information about how to sort out finances when separating.
Support for domestic abuse
- 0808 80 10 800
Providing help and advice about violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence for people in Wales.
- 0808 2000 247
Freephone, 24-hour national domestic abuse helpline (provided by Refuge.)
Organisation helping victims of domestic abuse to overcome many different forms of violence/abuse and rebuild their lives.
Information site for single parents.
Grassroots federation working to provide life-saving services in England and build a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated.
Counselling/therapy
- 01455 883300
Professional association for members of the counselling professions in the UK. Members have to demonstrate high standards of practice to attain and retain their accreditation. They have a register of BACP counsellors and psychotherapists, as well as a directory of services, searchable by postcode.
- 020 7391 9150
Provider of family therapy relating to a wide range of issues, including parenting issues, marital difficulties, issues relating to divorce/separation, LGBTQ+ and family couple issues, coping with the aftermath of violence/abuse, etc.
- 0300 003 0396
National organisation providing relationship (and relationship breakdown) support via counselling. Services also include help with family life/parenting. Fees are sometimes on a sliding scale, according to income.
- 116 123
Free, 24-hour, National helpline to help people who are feeling suicidal.
- 020 7014 9955
Organisation for the education, training, accreditation and regulation of psychotherapists/ psychotherapeutic counsellors in the UK. They exist to ensure practitioners meet stringent training requirements and abide by specific ethical standards. They hold a national register of accredited professionals.
Advice and support for parents
(practical, financial, and Legal)
- 0300 456 4000
he Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service operates under the rules and direction of the family courts to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, give advice to the family courts, make provision for children to be represented in court and provide information, advice and support to children and their families.
Gov.uk site explaining the options for arranging child maintenance payments if a private arrangement between parents has not been possible, including information about how to apply.
Gov.uk site hosting the Child Maintenance Service calculator, to enable families to calculate payments themselves (family based arrangements.)
Website collecting information, resources and support for everyone involved in the child protection system in the UK.
- 0300 0300 363
Organisation that offers support to families where relationships between fathers and children are under threat.
- 0808 801 0366
Charity that works with parents (and extended family) in England and Wales whose children are in need, at risk, or are in the care system, to champion policies and practice that can keep children safe within their family.
- 0808 802 0925
Charity supporting single parent families to live secure, happy and fulfilling lives.
- 0115 948 4557
UK charity dedicated to child contact, that provides safe spaces where children can meet the parent/s they don’t live with.
Online tool and App to help parents in shared parenting arrangements with communication and organisation, including managing schedules, tracking expenses, sharing files, sending secure messages, etc.
- 020 8974 6004
Independent charity that promotes the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children in the UK and around the world, including by producing free resources for families to help promote children’s resilience.
Children and their families
- 0300 123 2112
Advice and support for parents, children and young people, including parenting programmes and contact centres.
- 0800 1111
Advice and support for children, covering a wide range of issues.
Space created by Women’s Aid to help children and young people to understand domestic abuse, and how to take positive action if it’s happening to you.
A collaboration between young people, the family law/mediation sectors and The Family Initiative charity to provide a dedicated place for young people to find help and support when experiencing their parent’s divorce/separation. Includes a place for young people to share their stories, as well as resources to help parents talk with their children about their experience of the divorce/separation.
- 020 8772 9900
Organisation that champions advice and counselling for young people, including a search engine to find free local services, by post code.
Research relevant to mediation, family breakdown & divorce
- National Audit Report: Legal aid and mediation for people involved in family breakdown (2007)
- Making contact: How parents and children negotiate and experience conflict after divorce by Liz Trinder, Mary Beek & Jo Connolly (2002)
- Supporting children through family change: A review of interventions and services for children of divorcing and separating parents by Joanna Hawthorne, Julie Jessop, Jan Pryor & Martin Richards (2003)
- Decision-making within a child’s timeframe: An overview of current research evidence…. by Rebecca Brown and Harriet Ward (2012)
- Taking a longer view of contact: the perspectives of young adults who experienced parental separation in their youth by Jane Fortin, Joan Hunt & Lesley Scanlan (2012)
- Life gets under your skin, edited by Professor Mel Bartley (2012)