Family court & support in Herne Bay

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-30

Which court serves you

Herne Bay has no family court of its own. Family cases for Herne Bay and the Canterbury district are heard at:

Canterbury Combined Court and Family Court Hearing Centre, The Law Courts, Chaucer Road, Canterbury CT1 1ZA — the regional family venue (see our Canterbury court guide)

Always follow the venue on your notice of hearing. National enquiry line: 0300 123 5577.

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice Canterbury District — Herne Bay office, 185–187 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5AF. Adviceline 0808 278 7846 (freephone); appointments 01227 740647 / admincanterbury@canek.org.uk. Office hours Tues 10am–4pm, Thurs 10am–12pm; advice is by pre-booked appointment — see the Citizens Advice local office listing before travelling.

Mediation & your MIAM

Before most applications you must consider a MIAM. Search the FMC register for mediators covering the Herne Bay/Canterbury area — see our mediation guide for costs (£500 voucher, ~£120 MIAM, legal aid). The Citizens Advice Kent & Sussex pages and our Home Counties mediation page may help.

Domestic abuse support

Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (24/7) · emergency 999
Kent-area services via the Women's Aid directory: womensaid.org.uk (see our Home Counties DA support page)
On a shared phone? Use safe devices (library, CA office, friend's phone).

Children's services

Kent County Council children's services — contact routes via https://www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse (postcode lookup).

Getting there

Herne Bay station is only ~6 miles from the court: direct Southeastern trains to Canterbury West take roughly 47–53 minutes (direct services are infrequent — many journeys involve a change), while the frequent Stagecoach bus takes ~35 minutes. The Law Courts on Chaucer Road are a short walk from Canterbury West station — see the Canterbury court guide for access and facilities. Check live times before you travel.

This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with HMCTS or 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.