Family Division

Contact us

General enquiries

For general enquiries or enquiries that aren't specifically case related, please email us at PRFD.Familygeneralenquiries@HMcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk Please note that this is not an advice line

This address will be monitored by our Customer Service Officer and IT Service Manager. This is also the address to use if you have a complaint to make or any other comments you would like to make about our service. Enquiries regarding the video conferencing facilities that are available at First Avenue House can also be addressed here.

Judicial Secretariat: Office Manager: Dave Woods (0207 947 7560).

Clerk to His Honour Judge Altman: Eloise Emanuel (0207 947 7155)
Clerk to Senior District Judge Waller: Suzy Cottingham (0207 947 6934)
Judicial Support & Policy Officer: vacancy (0207 947 7133)

The office of the Judicial Secretariat (0207 947 7133) (PRFD.judicialsecretariat@HMcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk) provides support to the judiciary. Please use this email address for queries about the London Family Justice Council. The Secretariat also deals with judicial visitors, including foreign delegations. They also handle a number of international matters including holding registers for foreign judgments.

Please note: This Office is not to be confused with the Judicial Secretariat that covers the judicial sittings for London and the South East Regions found at judicial-secretariat@justice.gsi.gov.uk 020 7332 1815 (this number is likely to change during March 2011).

Specific or case-related enquiries

Please ensure that you read our email guidance. Listed below are the contact details for different sections of the Family Division, plus an outline of what each section deals with. Please select one of the following to view the contact details for that section:

Divorce | Children | Court section | List office | Circuit Judges listing | District Judges listing

The Family Administration Branch

The branch comprises of various sections which each have their designated work.

Divorce sections

Divorce Section Back Office

PRFD.divorcea@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

A non-public office which deals with:

• Process of divorce petitions
• Bailiff Service
• Deem/dispense applications
• Amendment/reservice of petitions
• Filing of answersDecrees Absolute
• Stop letters (from District Judge applications)
• Decree Nisi listing
• Petitions for Declarations of Parentage, Marital Status and Presumption of Death are also processed in this Section.

Section Manager, Siobhan Hewitt: 0207 073 7545
Office Manager, Samantha Pettitt: 0207 947 6931

Divorce Section Front Office

020 7947 7013/ 6954
PRFD.divorceb@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

• Acknowledgements of Service
• Directions for trial applications and allocation to District Judge with the processing of certificates afterwards
• Checking petitions
• Public counter enquiries
• Telephone enquiries

Section Manager, Siobhan Hewitt: 0207 073 7545
Office Manager, Samantha Pettitt: 0207 947 6931

Decree Section C

020 7947 6971
PRFD.divorcec@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

Processes:

• applications for financial orders and non-molestation injunctions
• general applications filed within divorce proceedings
• issue of originating applications
• all divorce documents lodged simply for placement on the court file.
• applications under the Forced Marriage Act
• Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (REMO) and enquiries relating to Attachment of Earnings are also processed in Section C

Section Manager, Michael Cameron: 0207 947 6479
Office Manager, Samantha Pettitt: 0207 947 6931

Decree Absolute Search Section

020 7947 7017
PRFD.decreeabsolutesearches@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

The Principal Registry of the Family Division holds a central index of all Decrees Absolute granted in England and Wales from 1858 to date. This Section also holds a central index of Final Dissolution Orders in Civil partnerships following the legislation changes in December 2005.

Section Manager, David New: 0207 947 7366
Office Manager, Samantha Pettitt: 0207 947 6931

Matters relating to Children

These are divided between 3 sections:

Public Law

020 7947 7930
PRFD.publiclaw@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

Deals with care cases involving local authorities. With effect from 1st April 2009 Appeals from the Divisional Court

Section Manager, Caroline Harris: 020 7947 7904
Office Manager, Bob Hartlebury: 020 7947 7457

Public Law Outline

020 7947 7922
PRFD.caseprogression@HMcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

Deals with cases under the new protocol that came into force April 2008.

Section Manager (Case Progression Officer), Bobby Pheby: 020 7947 7922
Office Manager, Bob Hartlebury: 020 7947 7457

Private Law

020 7947 6980
PRFD.privatelaw@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

Deals with:

• all residence, contact and specific issue applications between parents and / or other relatives
• wardship
• child abduction
• inherent jurisdiction cases for the High Court
• non-molestation injunctions provided there is an application regarding the child(ren) of the family filed (otherwise Section C will process)
• maintaining the national register for the parental responsibility agreements

Section Manager, Caroline Harris - 0207 947 7904
Officer Manager, Bob Hartlebury - 020 7947 7457

Adoption Section

Handles all aspects of the adoption from issuing to the service of the final orders made by the High Court Judges.
Please note: it is considered inappropriate to email the court on adoption issues

Section Manager, Lee Grubb: 020 7947 7102
Office Manager, Bob Hartlebury: 020 7947 7457

The Court Section

020 7947 6020
PRFD.familycourtorders@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

main functions are:

• administrative support to the Circuit and District Judges
• ensure that courts run smoothly
• production of orders
• processing of transcript requests

Section Managers:

Nasema Begum: 020 7073 1653
Rowan Basset: 020 7947 6573
Brenda Joy: 020 7947 7573
Roomana Dar: 020 7947 4746

Court Attendants, Roomana Dar: 020 7947 4746
Office Manager, Kimberli Jones: 020 7073 1743

The List Office

020 7947 7400
PRFD.districtjudgeslistings@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk or PRFD.circuitjudges@HMcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk

• lists all cases before District and Circuit Judges at First Avenue House
• responsible for listing the family cases at Gee Street Court House
• sets up in-court telephone conference calls (subject to availability)
• prepares the daily list. The PRFD Cause List (link to http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/list_prfd.htm for the following working day is available from 4.00pm

Circuit Judges Listing

Section Manager, Lisa Warner: 020 7947 6540
Office Manager, Mark Barford: 020 7947 7392

District Judges Listing

Section Manager, Lorraine Morichelli : 020 7947 7071
Office Manager, Mark Barford: 020 7947 7392