Middlesbrough County Court (at Teesside Combined Court) — self-representation guide

Essentials

Address

The Law Courts, Centre Square, North Yorkshire TS1 2AE

Telephone

01642 340000; 0300 123 5577; 0300 303 0642

Court location code

270

Verified

2026-08-27

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

If you are representing yourself in a family matter in Middlesbrough or Teesside, you are not alone. This guide lays out, plainly and without judgement, what to expect when your family case is heard at Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined 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" page on 2026-08-27.

About the name. The family division of the Middlesbrough courts sits inside the Teesside Combined Court Centre building. HMCTS lists the family venue at this address as "Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court". Your notice of hearing may reference either the "Teesside Combined Court Centre" or the "Middlesbrough County Court" — both are the same building at Centre Square, and the Family Court location code is 270. Use the name, address and contact details below, and always go to the court named on your notice of hearing.

The essentials

Official family venue: Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court, The Law Courts, Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AE
Also known as: Teesside Combined Court Centre (the Crown, county and family court housed in the same building at the same address)
Phone (main court): 01642 340 000
Phone (HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court – Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm): 0300 123 5577
Phone (HMCTS Divorce Contact Centre – Mon–Fri 10am–6pm): 0300 303 0642
Phone (Mediation Information and Assessment / mediation): 0300 123 4593
Fax: 01264 347926
Family Court location code: 270 · County Court location code: 270 · DX: 65152 Middlesbrough 2
Court type: County and family court at the Teesside Combined Court (adoption, childcare arrangements, divorce, domestic abuse, and more)
Counter (official): open 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, by appointment only (County Court; cashless office in operation)
verifiedAt: 2026-08-27 (checked against the official HMCTS page)

Contact and enquiries (official HMCTS details)

These are the contact routes listed on the official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" pages for Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court and Teesside Combined Court Centre.

Telephone

Main court switchboard / general enquiries: 01642 340 000
HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court (Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm) — general enquiries: 0300 123 5577
Family (private law, including C100 applications): 0300 123 5577
Family (public law / children in care): 0300 123 5577
HMCTS Divorce Contact Centre (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm): 0300 303 0642
Mediation information: 0300 123 4593
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court in advance on 01642 340 000.

Email (@justice.gov.uk)

family.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — family matters, including C100 applications
hearings.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — listings
contactfpl@justice.gov.uk — family public law (children in care), digital process for case numbers starting with C5
Adoptions.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — adoption
civil.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — civil (county court)
bailiffs.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — enforcement/bailiffs
teesside.breathingspace@justice.gov.uk — Breathing Space (debt) enquiries

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 the enforcement service. If you are unsure, do not pay anything and report the scam to Action Fraud. HMCTS scam warning (gov.uk)

Getting there & access

Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court, The Law Courts, Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AE

By rail: Middlesbrough station is the local stop (Northern/Avaniti West Coast services). Centre Square is a few minutes' walk from the station in the town centre — confirm the exact route on a map before you go, and check departures before travelling.
By bus/tram: Middlesbrough's centre and bus station are close to Centre Square. Use a live journey planner to confirm the route on the day.
By road: The courts sit on Centre Square in the heart of Middlesbrough, close to the A66. Town-centre car parks are nearby but fill early — arrive with time to spare.

Check live travel before you go — engineering works and delays can change things on the day. The court counter is open 10am–2pm Monday to Friday and is by appointment only (with a cashless office in operation), so arrive early, and sort enquiries by phone (01642 340 000 or 0300 123 5577) or email in advance. A hurried arrival adds stress.

What cases this court handles

According to the official HMCTS register, Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court handles:

Adoption
Childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner (C100 / child arrangements orders)
Divorce hearings
Domestic abuse (FL401 / non-molestation and occupation orders) and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) protection orders
Forced marriage
Housing cases
Bankruptcy, money claims, and High Court cases — serious or high-profile criminal or civil law cases

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

Check your court documents. The notice of hearing and any correspondence tell you the court and address where you are expected.
Ask the court. Call the HMCTS enquiries line on 0300 123 5577 or the court on 01642 340 000 — 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 normally lasts around 30 minutes and is not the trial. It is a gatekeeping and dispute-resolution hearing — the judge checks the papers, 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 both parents can agree on, rather than deciding everything there and then.
You will likely be referred on. If issues cannot be resolved at the FHDRA, the case is typically listed for further court 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 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 and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders are among 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 where you know the device is private.

Links you may find helpful:

A practical first visit / application checklist

Before you go, work through this list so nothing catches you by surprise:

[ ] Confirm the court name and venue on your notice of hearing — make sure your case is listed at Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court (The Law Courts, Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AE). It shares the building with Teesside Combined Court Centre — same address.
[ ] If unsure it is the right court, call the HMCTS enquiries line on 0300 123 5577 or the court on 01642 340 000 to confirm.
[ ] Check whether you need the C100 (child arrangements), FL401 (domestic abuse) or another form — see the official links below.
[ ] Apply for a family order online where possible — divorce and some family applications can be started via the official gov.uk routes (linked below) rather than by paper; you may be able to get help with the fee if you're on a low income or benefits.
[ ] Prepare in one page what you want the judge to know, and keep it calm and specific.
[ ] Bring photo ID, your court notices, and anything the court asked you to bring.
[ ] Note the counter is appointment-only (10am–2pm, cashless) — sort out any questions by phone (01642 340 000 or 0300 123 5577) or email (family.middlesbrough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk).
[ ] Plan your journey and arrival time to the venue named on your notice, and check live rail/bus status.
[ ] Arrange childcare or time off in advance so you are not rushed on the day.
[ ] Consider a McKenzie friend or ask Support Through Court for help if that would steady you.

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, Middlesbrough County Court at Teesside Combined Court, Teesside Combined Court Centre, 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 Middlesbrough County Court (at Teesside Combined 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.

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