Relationships & Family

Find out what your rights are if your relationship has broken down, for example whether you can stay in the family home or who the children should live with. You can also find out how to deal with things like making a will, registering a birth or changing your name, and where else to go for help.

Please note that Gingerbread is a single parent charity and can only offer advice to single parents who are the main or equal caregiver of the child. They are unable to offer advice to parents who don’t live with their children.

T: 0808 802 0925

Mon: 10am to 6pm
Tue/Thu/Fri: 10am to 4pm
Wed: 10am-1pm and 5pm-7pm
The helpline is closed on all public holidays.

More details about the helpline are at Gingerbread

Families Need Fathers are a charity offering information, advice and support services for parents on how to do the best for their children.

T: 0300 0300 363
Mon – Fri 9am-10pm; Sat & Sun 10am – 3pm

Calls charges (per minute)
Landlines: up to 10p
Mobiles: 3p – 40p
(free if you have inclusive minutes)

Advicenow guides are easy-to-read and practical. They explain what you need to know, where you need to go, and what you need to do to solve your problem.

Mediation Hertfordshire offers mediation and conflict resolution services to those experiencing disputes in the community, the family, in schools and in the workplace.

Telephone 01442 268044 and 01442 243402.

Mobile number 07925 512587 (text anytime and we will reply during office hours).

Calls charges (per minute)
Landlines: up to 10p
Mobiles: 3p – 40p
(free if you have inclusive minutes)

Resolution is a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way.

General enquiries T: 020 3841 0300
Mon – Fri 9am-5:30pm

Calls charges (per minute)
Landlines: up to 10p
Mobiles: 3p – 40p
(free if you have inclusive minutes)

Hertfordshire Law Clinic provides free legal advice to members of the public and University of Hertfordshire staff and students.

T: 01707 284115 – leave a message with your contact details

E: probono@herts.ac.uk or call

Rights of Women provide legal advice and information on a wide range of legal issues including domestic violence, child contact, sexual violence and the criminal justice process and immigration and asylum as well as other legal issues arising from relationship breakdown.

Advice Lines
Family Law T: 020 7251 6577
Criminal Law T: 020 7251 8887
Immigration Law T: 020 7118 0267
Sexual harassment at work T: 020 7490 0152

Please check the Rights of Women website for details of opening hours

Low-cost face to face counselling in Watford as well as telephone counselling and counselling via Zoom. Available for women over the age of 16 years who have experienced sexual violence at any time in their lives.

Helpline – call and leave a message to request a call back
T: 01923 249 511

E: support@junocounselling.co.uk

Herts Sunflower is an organisation supporting both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. More information is available on their website.

Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Helpline

T: 08 088 088 088
Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-4pm

Calls are free from mobiles & landlines.

Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Cafcass represents children in family court cases in England. We independently advise the family courts about what is safe for children and in their best interests. We put their needs, wishes and feelings first, making sure that children’s voices are heard at the heart of the family court setting.

A McKenzie Friend is anyone who accompanies you to court to help you as a Litigant in Person – those who are unrepresented by a Solicitor or engage a barrister.

Your McKenzie Friend is able to sit with you in the court and offer advice and support as well as taking notes to help you.

This is a confidential helpline for any man experiencing domestic violence and abuse from a partner or ex-partner.

T: 0808 801 0327
Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.
E: info@mensadviceline.org.uk

Galop is the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, working with and for LGBT+ victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence.

T: 0800 9995428
E: help@galop.org.uk

The helpline is open: Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm (Wednesday and Thursday 10am – 8:00pm)

Webchat is available: Wednesday and Thursday 5pm – 8pm

The Bereavement advice Centre provides a free advice line and online practical information, advice and signposting on the many issues and procedures that face us after the death of someone close.

This includes coping with grief, death certificates, probate, money & tax, funerals, probate, dealing with junk mail and notifying commercial organisations.

T: 0800 634 9494
Mon – Fri 9am-5pm

Call are free from landlines and mobiles.

Cruse helps people through one of the most painful times in life – with bereavement support, information and campaigning.

Helpline: 0808 808 1677

Opening Hours
Monday: 9.30am-5pm
Tuesday: 9.30am-8pm
Wednesday: 9.30am-8pm
Thursday: 9.30am-8pm
Friday: 9.30am-5pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am -2pm

Child Maintenance Options provide free impartial information and support to help parents make informed choices about child maintenance.

T: 0800 988 0988
Mon – Fri 8am – 8pm
Sat 9am – 4pm

Calls are free from landlines and mobiles

National Family Mediation is the largest provider of family mediation in England and Wales.

T: 0300 4000 636
Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm

Calls charges (per minute)
Landlines: up to 10p
Mobiles: 3p – 40p
(free if you have inclusive minutes)

Watford Women’s Centre provides support, accurate up-to-date information and a variety of low cost accredited courses and workshops.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre has experts in all areas of children’s rights, immigration, child protection, education and juvenile justice.

They:

• Provide legal advice and representation
• Research and produce evidence informing law, policy, practice and system reform
• Build the capacity of professionals and practitioners through training and advice provision
• Challenge laws and policies that negatively impact on children and their rights.

RCJ Advice delivers free legal advice to people who cannot afford a solicitor and need assistance with preparing, or dealing with a court case.

For anyone with a civil case in a County Court, High Court or Court of Appeal please call 0203 475 4373 to discuss if we can offer you an appointment.

For anyone with a family case such as divorce, children or finance please call 0203 745 8921 to discuss if we can offer you an appointment.

Both phone lines are open 9.30am -1pm and 2pm – 4.30pm Monday – Friday. The lines are not open at weekends or on bank holidays.

CourtNav is a digital service provided by RCJ Citizens Advice. Using CourtNav you can apply for either a Non-Molestation order, an Occupation Order or both.

Please note that by completing an application on CourtNav, that you are not making an application straight to Court. All CourtNav applications will be checked by a Legal Adviser, who will then advise you on the best course of action which may not necessarily be an application to the court.

You can use CourtNav with the help of a support worker if you have one (for example an IDVA, domestic abuse worker or Citizens Advice adviser). Alternatively you can register to use CourtNav by yourself. If you are a woman, you can also get assistance via the FLOWS service.