Peterborough Family Court — self-representation guide

Essentials

Address

Crown Buildings, Rivergate, Cambridgeshire PE1 1EJ

Telephone

0300 123 5577; 0300 303 0642; 0330 808 4424

Verified

2026-08-27

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

If you are representing yourself in a family matter in Peterborough, you are not alone. This guide sets out, plainly and without judgement, what to expect so you can walk into your hearing 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.

A quick, important note on the name: family work for the Peterborough area is heard at Peterborough Combined Court Centre (Crown Buildings, Rivergate) — the official HMCTS record. Family cases — including child arrangements, domestic abuse and divorce — are dealt with here, alongside county-court (civil), criminal and High Court business.

The essentials

Court for family matters (official): Peterborough Combined Court Centre, Crown Buildings, Rivergate, Peterborough, PE1 1EJ
Phone (HMCTS National Contact Centre — civil & family, paper process including C100 and financial remedy): 0300 123 5577 (Mon–Fri, 8.30am–5pm)
Phone (Divorce Contact Centre — family enquiries): 0300 303 0642 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm)
Phone (Family public law — children in care, case numbers starting C5): 0330 808 4424
Phone (Support Through Court for litigants in person): 0300 081 0006
Email (family applications, including C100): family.peterborough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk
Email (financial remedy): FRC.NES.BCH@justice.gov.uk
Court type: The family court for the Peterborough area sits within the combined centre (family jurisdiction alongside county, civil and criminal work)
Counter / building opening times (official): court open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday; counter open 10am to 2pm, by prior appointment only
DX / court location code: not confirmed for this page — check your notice of hearing, which names the venue, or ask the court directly
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" page for Peterborough Combined Court Centre, with the family-relevant lines pulled out.

Telephone

National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5pm): 0300 123 5577 — the main route for paper-based family applications, including C100, and general family enquiries.
Court Concierge / Divorce Contact Centre for family enquiries: 0300 303 0642 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm).
Family public law (children in care): 0330 808 4424 (digital process for case numbers starting with C5).
Crown court enquiries: 01223 488 321 (open 9am–5pm).
Support Through Court (independent charity for litigants in person): 0300 081 0006.
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)

Family applications (including C100): family.peterborough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — the family line for this court.
Financial Remedy (on divorce): FRC.NES.BCH@justice.gov.uk
Enforcement / bailiffs: bailiffs.peterborough.countycourt@justice.gov.uk

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 matter to Action Fraud. HMCTS scam warning (gov.uk)

Getting there & access

Peterborough Combined Court Centre sits at Crown Buildings, Rivergate, Peterborough, PE1 1EJ, on the River Nene next to the Key Theatre, close to Peterborough city centre. Arrive in good time; attendance at court moves quickly.

On foot / public transport

Peterborough railway station is within reach of the city centre, around 10–15 minutes' walk from Rivergate. Check National Rail Enquiries for live times before you travel.
Peterborough is served by extensive local bus routes, with stops close to the city centre.

By car

There is no public parking at the court building itself. The official page notes that public parking is available at the Key Theatre car park or the Wirrina car park (the Wirrina is the less expensive option). Check parking carefully before you travel.

Check live travel before you go — engineering works, lift closures and traffic 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 page for this court:

Disabled access: the building has level access to the building entrance and court rooms.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network: lanyards are available on request.
Assistance dogs: welcome.
Hearing Loop: a loop hearing facility is available in the Counter area and Courtrooms 1, 2 and 3.
Interview room: five interview rooms are available. They cannot be booked in advance — if you would like the use of one, ask the receptionist on the day of the hearing.
Baby changing facility: available in the first aid room.
Refreshments: vending machine for hot drinks and snacks.
Video facilities: video-conferencing facilities for County and Family proceedings (excluding prison-to-court video links); prison-to-court video link is available by prior arrangement for criminal proceedings.
Wireless network: wireless internet access is available within the building (a payable service).
Witness Service and translators/interpreters are available (see below).
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577.

What this court handles

Peterborough Combined Court Centre is a multi-jurisdiction centre. On the official HMCTS page, the family-relevant work this location handles includes:

Childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner (child arrangements / C100)
Divorce hearings
Domestic abuse matters (FL401 / non-molestation and occupation orders)
Financial Remedy (on divorce)
Adoption

Not every family case will be heard at Peterborough Combined Court Centre. If you are unsure where your matter belongs:

Check your court documents. The notice of hearing and correspondence you receive will name the court and address where you are expected, which is definitive.
Ask the court. Call the HMCTS National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577 and court staff will 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 then and there.
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. Support Through Court (0300 081 0006) helps litigants in person. 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 help is available. Domestic-abuse matters are among the case types handled at this court. 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 may be able to apply urgently, with the court sometimes able to hear the case 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-emergency 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, 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 can access, so take care when researching this information or applying for an order. If you are worried your device may be monitored, use a service you trust, a device you know is private, or a public computer such as one in a library.

Financial remedy note

If you are divorcing or dissolving a civil partnership and there are finances involved, the court will usually expect a Form E financial statement (each side's full and frank disclosure of income, capital, property, pensions and debts). Financial remedy applications are handled at this court — contact the Financial Remedy inbox at FRC.NES.BCH@justice.gov.uk for case-specific help. Full and frank disclosure is expected from both sides; it underpins a fair outcome.

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 it matches the venue named (typically Peterborough Combined Court Centre, Crown Buildings, Rivergate, PE1 1EJ).
[ ] If unsure it is the right court, call the HMCTS National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577 about your case, referencing your case number.
[ ] If you have a disability and need help attending, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577.
[ ] Plan your journey and arrival time — and check where to park, as there is no public parking at the court itself (use the Key Theatre or Wirrina car parks).
[ ] 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 wait 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 and reachable staff are there to help you navigate the building and 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, Peterborough 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. 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.

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