Support Through Court — Croydon: what they do for self-representing families

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

Important, first: there is no Support Through Court office at Croydon. We checked the charity's official locations list on 2026-08-27 and it does not operate a service at Croydon County Court and Family Court (The Law Courts, Altyre Road, Croydon CR9 5AB) or anywhere else in the borough. Support Through Court is a registered charity (charity number 1090781, formerly the Personal Support Unit) that gives free, practical and emotional support to people facing civil and family courts without a lawyer — but Croydon families use it by phone, online, or by travelling to one of its London offices, not by walking into a Croydon court building. This page explains exactly what the charity does, and how you can use it from Croydon. It is general information, not legal advice.

What this service is

Support Through Court is a charity with 25 years' experience supporting people who face court alone. Trained volunteers support you before, during and after court. They will:

Listen to your story without judgement and help you problem-solve and decide next steps.
Explain complex court procedures in plain language — what your hearing is for, what happens on the day.
Help you complete court forms and organise your papers.
Help you source reliable legal information and find free legal advice where it exists (they do not give legal advice themselves).
Help you plan what you want to say in court, and where arranged, accompany you into the hearing so you are not alone.
Cover family matters such as child arrangements, divorce and finances, non-molestation and occupation orders, special guardianship orders, and many civil matters (small claims, possession, enforcement and more).

They cannot give legal advice, represent you, or help with criminal cases.

Who it helps

Litigants in person — anyone in England and Wales facing civil or family court without a lawyer, which is exactly the position of most Croydon families at the Croydon County Court and Family Court.
People facing life-changing outcomes — child arrangements, divorce, homelessness — at a time when legal aid rarely covers representation.
Anyone can use the remote services: the National Helpline and Support Through Court Online cover all of England and Wales with no requirement to live near an office — so every Croydon resident qualifies.
The in-person London offices are open to any litigant whose case is heard at that court (or, for the Central Family Court office, who is dealing with a family case there).

How to use it (steps)

1. Know there is no Croydon office. The charity's official locations list (checked 2026-08-27) covers Birmingham, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Central Family Court and Royal Courts of Justice), Manchester, Sheffield and Southend — plus the National Helpline and Online service. Nothing at Croydon. 2. Start remote — it covers Croydon. Call the National Helpline on 0300 081 0006 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm, closed 12.30pm – 1.30pm) or email nationalhelpline@supportthroughcourt.org. Lines do not accept calls from withheld numbers, so show your caller ID. 3. Or use Support Through Court Online — a remote service for anyone in England and Wales who cannot reach a local office; book via the charity's website. 4. If you want face-to-face help, travel into central London. For family cases, the office at the Central Family Court (First Avenue House, 42–49 High Holborn, WC1V 6NP) is the closest in-person service to Croydon — about 40–50 minutes from East Croydon by direct Thameslink train to Chancery Lane / a short walk. For civil cases, the office is at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. Check hours and book ahead on the location pages linked below — walk-ins are only taken according to capacity and appointments take priority. 5. Bring (or have ready) your court papers — your case number, notices and forms — so the first conversation is productive. 6. Keep expectations right: volunteers help you prepare and stay steady; they cannot speak for you, advise on your case strategy, or attend a Croydon hearing for you.

Contact & location (verified)

There is no Support Through Court contact or office in Croydon. Verified details for the services Croydon residents actually use (from the charity's official website, 2026-08-27):

National Helpline (covers Croydon): 0300 081 0006 — Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm (closed 12.30pm – 1.30pm); email nationalhelpline@supportthroughcourt.org. No withheld numbers.
Online service: remote support for anyone in England and Wales — see official links below.
Nearest in-person offices (London): - Family cases: Central Family Court, First Avenue House, 42–49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (about 40–50 minutes from East Croydon station; nearest tube Chancery Lane). - Civil cases: Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL.
Your local court (no STC presence there): Croydon County Court and Family Court, The Law Courts, Altyre Road, Croydon CR9 5AB — verified on GOV.UK's Find a Court or Tribunal, 2026-08-27.

Costs (honest)

All Support Through Court services are free — the helpline, the online service and every in-person office. It is a charity funded by donations; there is no charge and no means test.
The 0300 helpline number is charged at a standard UK landline rate (often free within mobile minute allowances) — the charity itself takes no payment.
Watch out for anyone at court or online charging for "court support" — this charity's help is free. Verify through the official links below.
The charity cannot provide a lawyer, so if your case needs representation, that cost sits outside this service. See our legal aid guide.

How it fits your court case

If your case is at Croydon County Court and Family Court, you can still get the charity's full preparation support remotely: use the helpline or online service to understand your hearing, check your forms, and plan what you will say — then attend Croydon on the day yourself, prepared.
In-person accompaniment only happens where the charity has an office, i.e. not at Croydon. If sitting with a volunteer on the day matters to you, that realistically means your case being heard at one of their London offices — or bringing your own supporter/McKenzie friend (see our McKenzie friend guide).
Before a hearing: a helpline or online session can turn a confusing bundle of papers into a clear plan of next steps.
After a hearing: volunteers can help you work out what the order means and what to do next.
It complements, not replaces, legal help: the charity never advises on your case. Pair it with our preparing for a hearing guide.
Emotional support counts: having someone listen before you face the bench is a core part of the service, and it is available to you from Croydon by phone.

Official links

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Support Through Court, HMCTS, or gov.uk. Service details above are sourced from the charity's official website (supportthroughcourt.org) and GOV.UK and verified on 2026-08-27; the absence of a Croydon office was checked against the charity's official locations list on that date. Opening hours and capacity arrangements can change, so always confirm directly with the charity before travelling or calling. This page is general information and is not legal advice. Nothing on this page is an endorsement of any legal service, and Support Through Court does not endorse this site.

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.