Dartford County Court and Family Court — guidance

# Dartford County Court and Family Court — guidance

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

⚠️ IMPORTANT — PLEASE READ FIRST. The official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" record for Dartford County Court and Family Court states that this site is no longer in service — "This court or tribunal is no longer in service. Business has been transferred to other neighbouring courts." This page tells you what that means for you, and how to find where your family matter will actually be heard. This guide is not legal advice; everything below is sourced from the public HMCTS register and gov.uk.

If you are representing yourself in a family matter in the Dartford / north-west Kent area, you are not alone. This guide lays out, plainly and without judgement, how family proceedings now work in this part of Kent so you can walk into court more prepared and less uncertain. It is not legal advice. Court details below are sourced from the public HMCTS register and verified against the official "Find a court or tribunal" page.

The essentials — what you need to know first

Status (official HMCTS record, verified 2026-08-27): Dartford County Court and Family Court is no longer in service. The official Find a court page states: "This court or tribunal is no longer in service. Business has been transferred to other neighbouring courts." There is therefore no current HMCTS phone, counter, court code or DX for this site to give you — inventing one would be wrong and unhelpful.
What this means for you: if your case, or a new application, was previously headed to Dartford, it is now handled at a neighbouring court in Kent. The court that holds your file will contact you, and your notice of hearing will name the correct court and address. Do not assume a venue — check your paperwork first.
Find where your case sits: use the official Court Finder search to see the live alternative venues, and call the enquiries line of the court named on your notice of hearing if anything is unclear.
Courts in this part of Kent that handle family work (use the Court Finder to confirm which one holds your case — these are alternatives to check, not a confirmed "recipient"): - Maidstone Combined Court Centre — the large county and family court hub for Kent (see our full guide for it below) - Medway County Court, Chatham - Canterbury Combined Court Centre
If you are the applicant and your case has been moved, the transferring court will notify you. If you have not been told where your case now sits, call the enquiries line on the correspondence you have, or use the Court Finder contact search.

About the closure and what stays the same

Across the last decade HMCTS has consolidated the court estate, closing smaller and under-used buildings and moving work to larger neighbouring venues — in Kent much of the family and county court work consolidated around Maidstone. That is a practical change of venue, not a change of process. Everything about how a family case works — the forms, the hearings, the way you prepare — is the same regardless of which court building you attend. So the sections below apply to you whichever neighbouring court hears your matter.

Do not write to the old Dartford site or turn up at the old building. Check your notice of hearing and the Court Finder for the correct address before you travel.

Contact and enquiries (official HMCTS details)

Because the Dartford site is closed, there is no dedicated live HMCTS line to list for it without risking error. Instead:

Confirm the responsible court from your notice of hearing and any HMCTS correspondence — that court's contact details are the ones to use.
Official Court Finder: find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk — search for the alternative venue to get its current phone, email and opening times.
Court staff can point you in the right direction. If your paperwork is unclear, call the enquiries line of the court named on your notice of hearing.

Maidstone is the most likely successor for family work previously heard at Dartford. Our full Maidstone Combined Court Centre self-representation guide sets out its address (The Law Courts, Barker Road, Maidstone ME16 8EQ), phone (01622 202 000), opening times and what to expect — but always confirm from your notice of hearing which court actually holds your case.

Safety note on scams: HMCTS warns that scammers impersonate genuine HMCTS phone numbers and email addresses and may demand payment. If you are unsure, do not pay anything and report the scam to Action Fraud. HMCTS scam warning (gov.uk)

Getting there & access

Because the venue for your case may be one of several neighbouring courts, plan around the address on your notice of hearing, not the old Dartford site.

By public transport: the Kent courts are all close to rail and bus routes in their town centres — Maidstone (Southeastern/Thameslink via Maidstone East), Chatham and Canterbury are all well served. Use the official National Rail journey planner to check the live position on the day.
By car: north-west Kent town-centre parking is metered and time-limited; check signage before you leave the car.
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court named on your notice of hearing in advance. Assistance dogs are welcome at HMCTS venues, and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme lanyards are available on request.

Check live travel before you go — engineering works and disruption can change things on the day. Arrive early; court staff deal with many people daily, and a hurried arrival only adds stress.

What cases were heard here / are heard in this region

According to the official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" page, the former Dartford County Court and Family Court handled:

Childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner (C100 / child arrangements orders)
Divorce hearings
Domestic abuse (FL401 / non-molestation and occupation orders)
Housing and money claims

County and family work of this kind is now dealt with by the neighbouring Kent courts linked above (most likely Maidstone). If you are unsure where your matter belongs:

Check your court documents. The notice of hearing and any correspondence you receive will name the court and address where you are expected.
Ask the court. Call the enquiries line on your paperwork, or use the official Court Finder to find the alternative venue.

The C100 / FHDRA reality

For most parents, the first step is a C100 application for a child arrangements order, and the first hearing is the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA). Here is the reality of that first hearing for a litigant in person:

It is short and administrative. The FHDRA usually lasts around 30 minutes and is not the trial. It is a gatekeeping and dispute-resolution hearing — the judge checks the paperwork, identifies what is agreed and what is in dispute, and decides what is needed next.
The judge encourages agreement. Where it is safe, the court will look for contact that both parents can agree on, rather than deciding everything there and then.
You will likely be referred on. If issues can't be resolved at the FHDRA, the case is typically listed for further directions, a fact-finding hearing (where allegations of harm are examined) and/or a final hearing. Expect more than one hearing — that is normal.
Bring your evidence and be ready to speak plainly. You don't need a solicitor, but the judge needs to understand your position clearly and calmly. Answer directly, address the judge respectfully, and ask if you don't follow something — it's far better to ask than to guess.
Support is available. Independent charity Support Through Court assists litigants in person (linked below). You are also allowed a McKenzie friend (an unpaid assistant who can sit with you, take notes and quietly advise — they cannot address the court without permission).

FL401 / domestic-abuse safety

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please know you are not alone, and the family courts in Kent take abuse matters seriously. Help is available right now.

FL401 is the court application form used to apply for a non-molestation order (which stops someone threatening or using violence towards you) or an occupation order (which decides who can live in the family home). You can often apply urgently, sometimes without telling the other person first.

Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline (freephone, 24/7): 0808 2000 247
Women's Aid Live Chat: womensaid.org.uk (for women)
Emergency: if you are in immediate danger, call 999.
Non-emergency police: 101 for non-urgent concerns or to report something that is not an emergency.

Please use a safe device. "Safe" means a phone, computer or tablet that an abusive partner or ex-partner cannot access — for example a device at work, at a trusted friend's or family member's home, or a library. Calls, messages, browsing history and app activity can be monitored on a device or account the abuser has access to, so take care when researching this information or applying for an order. If you are worried your device is being monitored, consider seeking help from a service you trust or where you know the device is private.

Links you may find helpful:

A note on financial remedy (divorce finances)

If you are divorcing and need the court to divide money, pensions or property, the application is a financial remedy case. Key points for a litigant in person:

You must first disclose your finances using the Form E — a full, sworn statement of your income, outgoings, assets, pensions and debts. Completing it honestly and completely matters; the court can draw adverse inferences from non-disclosure.
Financial remedy is usually a staged process (Form E exchange, First Appointment, financial dispute resolution/private FDR, final hearing) — you will almost always have more than one hearing, and settlement is encouraged at each stage.
Not every financial matter needs court. You may be able to resolve finances by agreement, or use mediation or a solicitor-negotiated settlement, and have the court approve it. The court route is not mandatory.
See the official gov.uk guidance on divorce, finances and how to sort your money and property.

A practical first-visit checklist

Before your first visit, work through this list so nothing catches you by surprise:

[ ] Confirm the correct court and address on your notice of hearing — because the Dartford site is closed, never assume a venue.
[ ] If the notice is missing or unclear, use the official Court Finder and call the enquiries line of the court named on your paperwork.
[ ] Do not go to the old Dartford building or write to the closed site.
[ ] If you have a disability and need help attending, contact the court in advance.
[ ] Plan your journey and arrival time — check live transport status on National Rail.
[ ] Bring your court documents, a form of ID, and anything the court asked you to bring.
[ ] Bring a notebook and pen to record anything important.
[ ] Dress comfortably but respectably; you may be waiting some time.
[ ] Arrange childcare or time off in advance so you are not rushed on the day.
[ ] Prepare in plain words what you want the judge to know, and keep it calm and specific.
[ ] Remember that court staff are there to help you navigate the building and the process — ask for help when you need it.

You are entitled to a fair hearing. Preparing for the practical realities — the travel, the waiting, the uncertainty — is one of the best things you can do to give yourself a steadier day.

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to HMCTS, Dartford County Court and Family Court, or gov.uk. Court details are sourced from the public HMCTS register and reviewed for accuracy; always confirm the latest position directly with the court responsible for your case. This page is general information and is not legal advice.

Official forms & guidance (gov.uk):

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.