Wales Divorce Court Self-Help Resources

The Court Will Not Give You Legal Advice — But These Services Will Help

The Family Court processes your paperwork. It does not tell you whether your financial settlement is fair, whether you should file sole or joint, or how to handle an uncooperative spouse. That gap is where free support services come in.

Wales has a specific set of resources that most self-representing filers never find until they are already stuck. Here is what is available and what each one actually does.

Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre

The main family court hub for South Wales sits at 2 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1ET. Cardiff is a regional court venue for South Wales, but your case documents will tell you where any contested hearing, financial dispute resolution appointment, or child arrangements hearing is listed. For uncontested divorces, you will probably never set foot inside — the entire process runs through the CTSC in Harlow. But if your case escalates, check your case documents for the hearing venue.

Hearings can be conducted in Welsh on request. The court has Welsh-speaking judiciary and staff available, and your right to use Welsh in any court proceeding is statutory under the Welsh Language Act 1993.

Support Through Court

Support Through Court operates inside the Cardiff courthouse and provides free, in-person help to people representing themselves in family proceedings. Their volunteers can help you understand court paperwork, explain what will happen at a hearing, and accompany you into the courtroom. They do not give legal advice, but they can help you understand the process and find the right forms.

Advicelink Cymru (Citizens Advice Wales)

The Welsh helpline for Citizens Advice runs at 0800 702 2020, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Advisers can help with:

• Understanding which court forms you need
• Working through the Help with Fees (EX160) application
• Explaining the difference between the divorce itself and financial remedy proceedings
• Directing you to local solicitors who offer fixed-fee or legal aid services

The online resource hub at citizensadvice.org.uk/wales covers divorce, separation, benefits, and housing — all common overlapping issues for people going through a divorce.

We Are Group (Assisted Digital Support)

If the online MyHMCTS portal feels overwhelming — or if you do not have reliable internet access — We Are Group provides free, structured support for completing your digital application. They can walk you through the screens, help you upload your marriage certificate, and make sure your submission goes through correctly.

• Phone: 03300 160 051
• Text "FORM" to 60777 for a callback
• Email: [email protected]

Live Fear Free

The Welsh Government runs a dedicated 24-hour domestic abuse helpline at 0808 8010 800. If there is any history of physical, emotional, psychological, or economic abuse in your relationship, Live Fear Free provides emergency safety planning, advice on protective court orders (non-molestation orders, occupation orders), and referrals to local refuge services. If domestic abuse is a factor in your divorce, you may be exempt from the mandatory mediation requirement. Court bailiff service is free where the divorce application is linked to an ongoing application for a domestic abuse protection order, occupation order, or non-molestation order.

Relate Cymru

Relate Cymru (0300 003 2340) offers relationship counselling, separation mediation, and co-parenting support across Wales. If you and your spouse are open to mediation — especially for financial or child-related disputes — Relate can provide a structured, non-adversarial environment. Mediation is also significantly cheaper than contested court proceedings.

The CTSC

For administrative queries about your application — checking its status, confirming a case reference number, asking about court fee payments — the Court and Tribunals Service Centre handles everything centrally:

• Phone: 0300 303 0642 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm)
• Email: [email protected]
• Welsh-language helpline: 0300 303 5174

The Wales Divorce Filing Process Guide consolidates all these contact details with a structured filing workflow — so you know which service to call at each stage and what to ask them.

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