About our service
If you can’t agree with your ex about arrangements for your children, and you can’t afford a lawyer, Norfolk Community Law Service may be able to help. You should start by requesting a free initial advice appointment with a family solicitor at our Free Legal Advice (FLA) sessions.
If the solicitor you speak to thinks you would benefit from more support, they may refer you to our Family Court Support Service. Our friendly team can help you with completing court paperwork, and provide a volunteer to attend hearings with you (subject to availability). This help is quite limited and is not the same as having your own solicitor. Our volunteers are not legally trained and cannot represent you in court.
What they can do is provide valuable moral and practical support, taking some of the stress out of being a ‘litigant in person’. This support could include: organising paperwork; helping you to identify what you want from the proceedings; explaining the court system; keeping you calm before the hearing; taking notes; and quietly reminding you of points to raise in court.
We have a team of trained volunteer law students who help our staff to run the service.
Do you have a dispute over contact with your children?
If you are having trouble getting to see your children, or agreeing when the other parent should see them, you should consider these options:
Consult an experienced family mediator
They are experts at helping separated parents agree on important things like who sees the children when. Agreements you reach together are more likely to last, and mean less conflict, which is good news for everyone. If you are on a low income, you don’t have to pay for mediation. For a list of family mediation providers near you, click here.
Click here for our advice guide on family mediation.
Consult a lawyer
A family solicitor can suggest the best way to sort things out and might be able to help you agree with the other party. If you need to go to court, they can do all the paperwork and argue your case for you. If you can’t afford a lot, you can do some of the work yourself and just pay a lawyer to do certain things (e.g. speak at court hearings). In a few cases (e.g. where there has been domestic abuse), you might be able to get legal aid to pay for a solicitor – click here to check. To find family solicitors near you, click here.
Ask the court to decide
As a last resort, you can apply to the court for a Child Arrangements Order. It’s not a quick fix and there are no guarantees that things will go your way. It’s best to seek legal advice before applying to court. The family court will base its decision on what’s best for the children – so keep this in mind throughout the process.
Remember – focus on what’s best for the children.
Make an appointment
Appointments must be booked in advance. We offer various options to suit you – whether that is in person, on the phone or via Microsoft Teams. Just let our staff know when confirming your slot.
Appointments can be held:
On teams
In person
Over the phone
If you are unable to fill in the form for any reason or would prefer to contact us in another way, please do not hesitate to do so.
Call us:
01603 496623 option 3
Email us:
family@ncls.co.uk
WhatsApp us:
07900153753
How can we help you?
- I can’t afford a solicitor, can you get me one for free?
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No. If you can’t afford to pay a solicitor, and you’re not eligible for legal aid, click here to read more, you will have to ‘represent’ yourself. This means you will have to send all the necessary documents to court, and you will have to speak in court to explain your point of view. We can give you advice and support, but we can’t do it for you.
- Can you help me get a legal aid solicitor?
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The government only provides legal aid for some cases, not for everybody. Firstly, find out whether you’re eligible – click here to check. If you are, contact one of the firms who provide legal aid in Norfolk (see the list below). If no solicitor in Norfolk is able to take your case, you can ask a firm in another part of England or Wales – click here to find one. If you still cannot find anybody to take your case, we can help you to represent yourself – but we can’t provide a legal aid solicitor to represent you.
Current Legal Aid providers in Norfolk
Fosters Solicitors
William House, 19 Bank Plain, Norwich NR2 4FS
01603 620508
Lucas & Wyllys
5/6 South Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 2QJ
01493 855555
Norton Peskett
66a Bells Road, Gorleston, NR31 6AF
01493 652204
ONLY FOR MATTERS INVOLVING CHILDREN
Hayes & Storr
Fakenham, Kings Lynn, Swaffham, Holt & Sheringham
01328 863231
- Why do you need my ex’s name?
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Don’t worry, we will never get in touch with your ex. We just need their name and date of birth so that we know who’s involved in your case. Solicitors’ rules mean they can’t give advice without having this information.
- Will everything I tell you be confidential?
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Yes, absolutely. We know that family matters are very personal and we will treat your information with the utmost respect. Our staff and volunteers have a strict code of confidentiality, and we will never disclose any information that you give us without your permission. The only reason for breaking this code is if we believe that you or someone else is about to come to serious harm.
- I don’t speak much English, can you give me advice in my own language?
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Yes, we can arrange an interpreter if you need one – just mention this on your enquiry form, or ask us when we contact you to book your appointment.
- My friend/son/daughter is having difficulty with child contact, can I get some advice for them?
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You can enquire on their behalf, as long as you have their consent. But we will need to speak to them direct to take their details and to give the advice. If they would like you to be present at the appointment alongside them, that’s fine with us.
- I’ve never been to court before, what should I expect?
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You can read our guides on the family court process here. Our friendly staff and solicitors will be able to tell you what to expect at your hearing, and our volunteers have lots of experience in the family court so they will help you prepare. We aim for the same volunteer to help you throughout the process wherever possible.
- My ex is getting help from you, can you help me too?
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No, unfortunately solicitors’ rules mean that we can only help one person in a case. If we can’t help you, we will tell you about other sources of advice and information.
What we can’t help with
We cannot represent you during proceedings and are not allowed to speak for you in court or sign any documents on your behalf. This service in no way replaces legal representation, and we encourage anybody who can afford it to instruct a solicitor.
Our volunteers can only attend cases in Norfolk courts: Norwich, Great Yarmouth or King’s Lynn. (Cases will usually be heard here if the child lives in Norfolk.)
We cannot assist clients where a conflict of interest check reveals that we have advised the other party in the case.
What’s next
Step 1:
An inital call
We’ll contact you to let you know whether we can help with your case. If we can, we’ll book a free appointment for you to speak to an experienced family solicitor.
Step 2:
Your appointment
One of our friendly solicitors will listen to your situation and advise the best course of action.
Step 3:
Next steps
If you need help with the next steps, we will do our best to support you – whether that’s filling in court forms, writing a statement or arranging a volunteer to go to your court hearing with you.
Do you need extra support?
We’re here to help everyone access legal advice.
Your support has had a huge positive impact on my family. I’m so grateful. I have been overwhelmed by the high level of genuine care and professional competence given by NCLS; I do not know what I would have done without you. You guys did an excellent job for me and my kids.
Family Court Support Service Client
Useful resources
Our partnership with NIDAS
We work closely with NIDAS, which provides support to people looking to break free from domestic abuse in Norfolk. To contact them for confidential advice and support call 0300 561 0555, or visit their website below. You can also get information from Rights of Women; a link to their website is here.
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