High Wycombe County and Family Court — self-representation guide

Essentials

Address

The Law Courts, Easton Street, Buckinghamshire HP11 1LR

Telephone

0300 123 5577; 0118 980 1800

Verified

2026-08-27

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

If you are representing yourself in a family matter, you are not alone. This guide lays out, plainly and without judgement, what to expect at High Wycombe County and Family Court so you can walk in 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" service on 2026-08-27.

About the name. HMCTS's active listing for this building is High Wycombe County and Family Court. Family work for the High Wycombe area can also be heard alongside the Magistrates' listing at the same Law Courts on Easton Street, and some administrative correspondence is handled from the Reading administrative centre. Always go to the court named on your notice of hearing — the same building is used for county, family and magistrates' work, so double-check which listing applies to you.

The essentials

Visiting address: High Wycombe County and Family Court, The Law Courts, Ground Floor, Easton Street, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1LR
Postal/administration centre: Reading County Court, 160–163 Friar Street, Reading, RG1 1HE
Phone (HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court – Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm): 0300 123 5577
Phone (court / general enquiries line as published): 0118 980 1800
Email (county court administration): enquiries@reading.countycourt.gsi.gov.uk
DX: DX 98010 Reading 6
Court type: County Court and Family Court (handles adoption, childcare arrangements, divorce, domestic abuse, housing and money claims)
verifiedAt: 2026-08-27 (checked against the official HMCTS find-a-court service and cross-referenced with third-party court index)

Contact and enquiries (official HMCTS details)

These are the contact routes listed on the official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" service for High Wycombe County and Family Court, with the court's general enquiries line and Reading administration centre.

Telephone

HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court (Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm) — general enquiries: 0300 123 5577
HMCTS Divorce Contact Centre (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm): 0300 303 0642
Court general enquiries line: 0118 980 1800
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, please contact the court on 0300 123 5577 in advance.

Email (@justice.gov.uk)

enquiries@reading.countycourt.gsi.gov.uk — county court (civil) administration for High Wycombe.
If you are unsure which route to use, call the National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577 and ask.

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

Getting there & access

High Wycombe County and Family Court sits at The Law Courts, Easton Street, High Wycombe, HP11 1LR, close to the town centre.

By rail: High Wycombe station serves the town on the Chiltern Main Line (services to/from London Marylebone and a range of destinations). From the station it is a short walk or brief bus ride to the town centre and Easton Street. Check live departures before travelling.
By bus: local bus routes into High Wycombe town centre stop close to the court. Use a live journey planner to confirm routes and times on the day you travel.
By car: High Wycombe town centre has public car parks nearby — check signage, time limits and charges before you leave the car, as policies change and penalties are common.

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

Facilities and accessibility (official HMCTS details)

Per the official HMCTS listing for High Wycombe County and Family Court and the court's published facilities:

The court has disabled access, disabled toilets and disabled parking, plus baby changing facilities, refreshments and hearing enhancement facilities.
Guide dogs are welcome at this court.
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577.

What cases this court handles

High Wycombe County and Family Court is a County Court and Family Court. According to the official HMCTS register, the types of law handled here include:

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

Not every family case is heard here. If you are unsure whether your matter belongs at High Wycombe:

Check your court documents. The notice of hearing and any correspondence you receive will name the court and the address where you are expected.
Ask the court. Call the HMCTS enquiries line on 0300 123 5577 — court staff are there to point you in the right direction.

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 this court takes abuse matters seriously — domestic abuse is one of the case types it handles. Help is available.

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
Emergency: if you are in immediate danger, call 999.
Non-emergency police: 101 for non-urgent concerns.

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 practical first-visit checklist

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

[ ] Confirm the court name and address on your notice of hearing — make sure your case is listed at High Wycombe County and Family Court (The Law Courts, Easton Street, High Wycombe, HP11 1LR).
[ ] If unsure it is the right court, call the HMCTS enquiries line on 0300 123 5577 to confirm.
[ ] If you have a disability and need help attending, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577.
[ ] Plan your journey and arrival time — confirm how you are getting to High Wycombe town centre (High Wycombe station is the nearest mainline stop) and check live rail/bus status.
[ ] 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, High Wycombe County 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, because court listing and status information changes. 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.

Preparing your own papers for a hearing at High Wycombe County and Family Court? EvidenceCanvas is an online tool for people who represent themselves in the family court. You add your messages, letters and orders, and it helps you put together a chronology, an exhibit bundle and a draft statement. It checks its own drafts and points out anything to fix. You check and finish every document yourself.

It is a paid tool with monthly plans and one-off options, and a limited free plan to try it. Check the current prices on its website before you choose a plan. It is not a law firm, it does not give legal advice and it cannot tell you how your case will turn out. If you can get legal advice or legal aid, consider that first.

Create an EvidenceCanvas account

YourFamilyCase and EvidenceCanvas are both owned by Noverquis Ltd.