Preston County and Family Court — self-representation guide

Essentials

Address

The Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way, Lancashire PR1 2LL

Telephone

0300 123 5577; 0300 303 0642

Court location code

303

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 Preston's 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" page on 2026-08-27.

About the name. Preston's family business is heard at Preston Combined Court Centre, also known as The Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way, Preston — HMCTS's official listing name is Preston Combined Court Centre. It is the principal family court (and county court) for Central and South West Lancashire, and is sometimes called "Preston Family Court" or simply "Preston Law Courts." A separate, smaller family and Crown venue, Preston Crown Court and Family Court (Sessions House) on Lancaster Road, also handles family cases under the same Lancashire family team. Always go to the court named on your notice of hearing.

The essentials

Address: Preston Combined Court Centre, The Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way, Preston, PR1 2LL
Family Court location code: 303 (County Court location code also 303; Crown Court 448) — use this on C100 and other family court forms when asked where the case is being heard
DX: 702660 Preston 5
Phone (HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court — general enquiries): 0300 123 5577 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm)
Phone (HMCTS Divorce Contact Centre): 0300 303 0642 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm)
Phone (Crown Court general enquiries): 01772 844 700
Email (C100 applications): lancashirefamilyapplications@justice.gov.uk
Email (family court): prestonfamily@justice.gov.uk
Email (listing): lancashirefamilylisting@justice.gov.uk
Email (county court, general enquiries): enquiries.preston.countycourt@justice.gov.uk
Court open (official): Monday to Friday 8:30am–5pm; telephone enquiries 9am–5pm; county court counter open 10am–2pm (no counter service at the Sessions House venue)
verifiedAt: 2026-08-27 (checked against the official HMCTS pages)

Contact and enquiries (official HMCTS details)

These are the contact routes shown on the official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" pages for Preston, including the dedicated Lancashire family team.

Telephone

HMCTS National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court — general enquiries: 0300 123 5577 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm)
HMCTS Divorce Contact Centre: 0300 303 0642 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm)
Crown Court general enquiries: 01772 844 700
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court in advance via the National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577.

Email (@justice.gov.uk)

lancashirefamilyapplications@justice.gov.uk — family applications, including C100 child arrangements applications and other originating applications.
prestonfamily@justice.gov.uk — general family court matters.
lancashirefamilylisting@justice.gov.uk — listing of family hearings across Lancashire (listing is centralised by the Centralised Family Listing Team).
lancashireadoption@justice.gov.uk — adoption matters.
contactfpl@justice.gov.uk — family public law (children in care / care proceedings).
enquiries.preston.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — general county court enquiries (money claims, housing).
For anything you are unsure of, call the National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577 and ask to be pointed in the right direction. Do not attempt to contact the judge directly — all queries go through the court office.

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

Preston Combined Court Centre sits at The Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way, Preston, PR1 2LL, in the town centre, close to Preston station.

By rail: Preston railway station is roughly a 15-minute walk from the court, and is one of the best-connected stations in the North West (services to Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster, Blackpool and beyond). Check live departures on the National Rail website before travelling.
By bus: numerous local bus routes serve the town centre and pass near Ring Way. Use a live journey planner to confirm routes on the day.
By car: there is no general parking at the building — only a limited number of disabled spaces on a first-come, first-served basis. The nearest public car parks are: Upper Lawson Street (PR1 2RJ), Walker Street (PR1 2RQ), Saul Street (PR1 2QU) and the Bus Station Car Park, Carlisle Street (PR1 1DJ). Plan parking in advance.

The security reality. All users and their possessions are searched by security on entering the building, and there is a security arch. Alert the security officer if you have a pacemaker. Allow extra time for this on a first visit — family court days can be busy.

Facilities and accessibility

Per the official HMCTS page for Preston Combined Court Centre:

Disabled access and disabled toilet facilities are available; disabled parking at the court is very limited and first-come, first-served — plan ahead.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards are available on request.
Assistance dogs are welcome.
Hearing loop (hearing enhancement) available by prior arrangement — contact the court office if you rely on it.
Twenty interview rooms are available — useful for meeting a supporter, McKenzie friend, or solicitor before a hearing.
Children's waiting room is available.
Baby-changing facilities are in the disabled toilets on the ground floor.
Public toilets and accessible toilets are available.
GovWifi wireless access is available.
If you need an interpreter, ask the court in advance — see Get an interpreter at a court or tribunal (gov.uk).

What this court handles

Preston Combined Court Centre is a combined county and family court (it also hosts Crown Court work). For family purposes it is the principal family court for Central and South West Lancashire, and — according to the official HMCTS register — the family business heard across Preston includes:

Childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner (applications typically on form C100)
Domestic abuse (safety/protective applications on form FL401)
Financial remedy (money and property when a relationship ends)
Forced marriage protection cases
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) protection orders
Adoption
The court also handles housing, money claims, bankruptcy, and some High Court and Crown Court work.

Family applications across Lancashire are administered by a centralised family listing team. Because this is a combined court, family matters — including C100 child arrangements, domestic-abuse and financial-remedy applications — are heard here directly; you do not need to be sent elsewhere for family jurisdiction. The dedicated Preston Crown Court and Family Court (Sessions House), Lancaster Road, PR1 2PD, shares the same Lancashire family team and Family Court location code (303) and also hears family cases.

Not every family case is heard at the same Preston building. If you are unsure where your matter is listed:

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 arrangements 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:

Financial remedy note

If your case concerns money or property when a relationship ends, the court treats financial disclosure seriously. You will usually be asked to complete Form E (a detailed statement of your financial position) and to give full and frank disclosure — you must honestly set out your income, assets, debts and outgoings. Failing to disclose hidden assets can damage your position and erode the court's trust in you. Ask the court which forms apply to your case.

A practical first-visit checklist

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

[ ] Confirm the exact court name and address on your notice of hearing — make sure you know whether your case is at Preston Combined Court Centre (The Law Courts, Openshaw Place, Ring Way, PR1 2LL) or the Sessions House venue (Lancaster Road, PR1 2PD).
[ ] If unsure it is the right court, call the HMCTS enquiries line on 0300 123 5577 to confirm.
[ ] If you need to use the county court counter, note it is open 10am–2pm — plan around it or call ahead.
[ ] 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 the walk from Preston station and sort parking at a nearby public car park in advance.
[ ] Allow extra time for the security arch and bag search at the entrance.
[ ] 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 and charity volunteers (e.g. Support Through Court) 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, Preston 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.

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