Support Resources & Helpful Links

People involved in family court proceedings

Guide to Representing Yourself in Court

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.)
https://www.thejusticegap.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Bar-Council-guide.pdf

Citizens Advice

Charity offering confidential advice and information on a wide range of issues, including family law, online, over the phone and in person, for free.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Community Legal Advice

Free and confidential advice service, paid for by legal aid, that help people deal with a wide variety of legal problems, including family law.
https://www.ukecc-services.net/Communitylegaladvice.cfm

Divorce Aid

Independent organisation of professionals offering divorce information and advice to people based in the UK, and internationally with a UK connection.
http://www.divorceaid.co.uk/

HM Courts and Tribunal Service

Gov.uk website where information can be found regarding court forms, court fees and help with fees and online court applications can be made.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service

Resolution

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.
https://resolution.org.uk/

Shelter

Charity that helps people with housing problems and/or homelessness through advice, support and legal services.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/

Support Through Court

Organisation who supports people who are representing themselves in court. They can help with filling out court forms and sometimes with attending court also.
https://www.supportthroughcourt.org/

The Money Advice Service/Divorce and Separation

Information about how to sort out finances when separating.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/divorce-and-separation?source=mas

Support for domestic abuse

Single Parents

Information site for single parents.
https://www.singleparents.org.uk/

Live Fear Free Helpline (Wales)

Providing help and advice about violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence for people in Wales.
https://gov.wales/live-fear-free

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

Freephone, 24-hour national domestic abuse helpline (provided by Refuge.)
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Refuge

Organisation helping victims of domestic abuse to overcome many different forms of violence/abuse and rebuild their lives.
https://www.refuge.org.uk/

Womens Aid

Grassroots federation working to provide life-saving services in England and build a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated.
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

Counselling/therapy

British Association for Psychotherapy and Counselling

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.
https://www.bacp.co.uk

Institute of Family Therapy

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.
https://www.ift.org.uk/

Relate

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.
https://www.relate.org.uk/

Samaritans

Free, 24-hour, National helpline to help people who are feeling suicidal.
https://www.samaritans.org/

United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy

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.
https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/

Advice and support for parents

CAFCASS

The 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.
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/

Child Maintenance (making an arrangement)

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.
https://www.gov.uk/making-child-maintenance-arrangement/using-child-maintenance-service

Child Maintenance calculator

Gov.uk site hosting the Child Maintenance Service calculator, to enable families to calculate payments themselves (family based arrangements.)
https://www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance

Child Protection Resource

Website collecting information, resources and support for everyone involved in the child protection system in the UK.
https://childprotectionresource.online/

Families Need Fathers

Organisation that offers support to families where relationships between fathers and children are under threat.
https://fnf.org.uk/

Family Rights Group

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.
https://frg.org.uk/

Gingerbread

Charity supporting single parent families to live secure, happy and fulfilling lives.
https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/

National Association of Child Contact Centres

UK charity dedicated to child contact, that provides safe spaces where children can meet the parent/s they don’t live with.
https://naccc.org.uk/

Our Family Wizard

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.
https://www.ourfamilywizard.co.uk/

Partnership for Children

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.
https://www.partnershipforchildren.org.uk/

Children and their families

Action for children

Advice and support for parents, children and young people, including parenting programmes and contact centres.
https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/

Childline

Advice and support for children, covering a wide range of issues.
https://www.childline.org.uk/

The Hideout

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.
https://thehideout.org.uk/

Voices in the Middle

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.
https://www.voicesinthemiddle.com/

Youth Access

Organisation that champions advice and counselling for young people, including a search engine to find free local services, by post code.
https://www.youthaccess.org.uk/

Studies on Mediation, Family Breakdown & Divorce

National Audit Report

Legal aid and mediation for people involved in family breakdown (2007)
https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/legal-aid-and-mediation-for-people-involved-in-family-breakdown/?nab=1

Making contact

How parents and children negotiate and experience conflict after divorce by Liz Trinder, Mary Beek & Jo Connolly (2002)
https://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/1842630938.pdf

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)
https://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/default/files/jrf/migrated/files/1842630857.pdf

Decision-making within a child's timeframe

An overview of current research evidence by Rebecca Brown and Harriet Ward (2012)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200471/Decision-making_within_a_child_s_timeframe.pdf

Taking a longer view of contract

The perspectives of young adults who experienced parental separation in their youth by Jane Fortin, Joan Hunt & Lesley Scanlan (2012)
https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/report/Taking_a_longer_view_of_contact_the_perspectives_of_young_adults_who_experience_parental_separation_in_their_youth/

Life gets under your skin

Life gets under your skin edited by Professor Mel Bartley (2012)
https://silo.tips/download/life-gets-under-your-skin-edited-by-professor-mel-bartley