Information and advice from websites, helplines and leaflets
Advice Services Alliance: gives a range of general advice on many family issues, welfare benefits and rights.
Booklets for information for families in Private and Public Law cases
Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB):The local Citizen's Advice Bureau is a good place to start whether your query is small or a major problem. CAB helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice from over 3,200 locations. Visit the main CAB website or their advice guide. You can also Find your local CAB.
Cafcass (CAFCASS CYMRU in Wales): looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. It works with children and their families, and then advises the courts on what it considers to be in the children's best interests. cafcass only works in the family courts. It has a very useful website with information for children, young people and parents.
Children's Legal Centre: provides information and signposting on legal advice for children and parents.
Childline provides a free confidential helpline for children and young people.
CMEC - the Child Maintenance Enforcement is a new non-depatrmentsl Public body established to take responsibility for the child maintenance system in Great Britain. Its website explains the system and includes information on options and inncludes information on options that areresponsible for running the child support system. It calculates, collects and pays child support maintenance, ensuring that parents who live apart meet their financial responsibilities to their children. Its website explains the child support systems and includes leaflets about how to make a claim and how to calculate the amount of child support.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has produced leaflets for parents and children when parents separate or divorce. These include a guide to help parents plan arrangements for their children.
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF): is responsible for government policy on supporting family relationships and services for children. There is lots of useful information is available about:
- caring for children, schooling, day care etc: Parents Centre
- adoption: DCSF - Adoption
- teenage pregnancy: Teenage pregnancy unit
Fathers Direct: provides information for fathers about all aspects of parenting, including pregnancy, domestic violence and parenting after separation.
Family Rights Group: gives advice and support for families whose children are involved with social services.
Advice service: 0800 731 1696
Families Need Fathers: offers advice and information to fathers about contact.
Helpline: 0870 760 7496
Legal Services Commission (LSC): looks after legal aid in England and Wales and is responsible for ensuring that people get the information, advice and legal help they need to deal with a wide range of everyday problems through the Community Legal Service.
Helpline: 0845 345 4 345
As well as funding legal advice the LSC funds family mediation and provides information about family mediation.
National Family and Parenting Institute (NFPI): does research about the family. It gives information to parents through leaflets and its website has a directory of organisations in England and Wales providing family support.
NCH - is a children and families charity with a special site for children affected by family breakdown. It is useful for parents too.
OneplusOne: researches marriage and relationships and has a website with information about couple relationships which explains the different legal effects of living together and being married.
Parentlineplus: is the helpline for parents who need information, support or advice about parenting. It does not give legal advice but has an excellent website and provides confidential advice by email.
Advice line: 0808 800 2222
Refuge: provides help and advice about domestic violence. It has links and telephone numbers for organisations providing support for men, women and children.
Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run in partnership between Woman's Aid and Refuge: 0808 2000 247
Resolution: is the country's leading organisation of family lawyers. It has lots of useful information on its website, including fact sheets on a range of topics such as financial arrangements on divorce, mediation, cohabitation and arrangements for children after divorce or separation. The website can also help people find a solicitor in their local area.