Forms & Links

• Legal Aid
• The Law Society of Northern Ireland has a directory of solicitors including collaborative family law solicitors
• Women’s Aid
• Men’s Advisory Project
• Men’s action network
• Crisis intervention team
• Lifeline
• Samaritans
• 24 hour domestic abuse helpline
• GP Out of office service

Northern Ireland

• Children’s Law Centre – freephone legal advice for children and young people – 0808 808 5678
• Children's Rights - NI Direct  – information about the human rights of children and young people up to the age of 18
• Children in NI – Parent Line – freephone support, advice and guidance for parents - 0808  802 0400
• Family Support NI – information and contact details of a range of family support services
• Parenting Focus – confidential support to parents about issues they face which includes parenting during/after a separation - 0808 8010 722
• Relate NI – a confidential and safe place to speak with a counsellor who is impartial and can help you to talk about your issues
• Housing Advice NI – advice on preparing for divorce and separation.
• NI Direct Getting a Divorce or Dissolving a Civil Partnership - information on the divorce or dissolution process in Northern Ireland

UK-wide

The guides below relate to the law in England and Wales where the rules and duties are different from Northern Ireland. They are included here because they address some common problems arising for parents sorting out arrangements for where the child will live and contact arrangements.

Advice Now's guide Family Mediation (England & Wales) is about family mediation after a break-up BUT please note this is from England & Wales and is for guidance only because the rules and duties are different in Northern Ireland.

CAFCASS Parenting Plan guide BUT please note this is from England & Wales and is for guidance only because the duties and rules are different in Northern Ireland.

Our Family Wizard Creating a Parenting Plan - this is a generic tool for assisting parents to think about the issues a parenting plan should include.

• Law Society Mediation Service
• Family Mediation NI
• The Resolution Centre, Barrister Mediation & Arbitration Service
• The Mediators' Institute of Ireland
• College of Mediators UK

• Child Maintenance Choices NI Direct
• Child Maintenance Calculator NI Direct

Apart from this website, there is not much information on litigating in person in Northern Ireland.

A set of guidelines is available for the people involved in Civil or Family Proceedings in Northern Ireland where one party does not have legal representation. It is intended for LIPs, solicitors and the represented party and it suggests ways to promote cordial, professional contact in the interests of justice and fairness: A Charter for Effective Participation and Communication between Solicitors and Litigants in Person in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Department of Justice has produced a guide for litigants in person in the High Court: A Guide to Proceedings in the High Court for People without a Legal Representative. Please note: this is not a guide for family cases in the Magistrates’ or County Courts in Northern Ireland.

There is more information available for litigants in person in other parts of the UK. Be careful when you look at online information from England & Wales or Scotland because the laws, duties and rules are different in Northern Ireland.

AdviceNow guides on going to court without a solicitor in England & Wales.

Equal Treatment Bench Book – a guide for judges on treating people equally and fairly in court in England & Wales, also read by judges in Northern Ireland. Chapter One is about litigants in person.

• NI Court offices directory - contact details and location of courts in Northern Ireland
• Court office emails -  email addresses of all court offices and divisions
• NICTS contact details - printable leaflets about courts in Northern Ireland
• Department of Justice Audio Recordings and Transcripts of Court Proceedings - to request an audio recording or transcript
• Court Structure of Northern Ireland - useful diagram of the court structure in Northern Ireland.
• Guide on Physical, Remote and Hybrid Attendance (May 2023)
• Guide to remote hearings using Sightlink
• Guide to remote hearings using Webex

In the Family Proceedings Court, the procedural rules are set out online in Magistrates’ Courts (Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995) Rules 1996.  Litigants may also have to use the the Magistrates' Courts Rules (Northern Ireland) 1984.

In the Family Care Centre, the procedural rules are set out online in Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996 (County Court & High Court) Rules. Litigants may also have to use the  County Court Rules 1981.

In the High Court and His Majesty's Court of Appeal, the procedural rules are set out online in Rules of Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980.

These are also available in the Department of Justice Court Rules.

• Court Bundle Practice Direction - Format, content and how to submit a Court bundle
• Skeleton Argument Practice Direction - Format, content and how to submit a Skeleton argument
• Proposed McKenzie Friends Practice Note called Practice Note 03/12 Revised 2023 - McKenzie Friends (All Court Business). Previous McKenzie Practice Note (Civil & Family) 03/12
• Judicial decisions and directions - The Judiciary of Northern Ireland provide the latest Practice Directions issued by the Office of the Lord Chief Justice
• McKenzie Friends Draft Code of Conduct