Taunton Family Court — self-representation guide

Essentials

Address

The Shire Hall, Somerset TA1 4EU

Telephone

0300 123 5577

Court location code

347

Verified

2026-08-27

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

If you are representing yourself in a family matter in Taunton, you are not alone. This guide lays out, plainly and without judgement, what to expect so you can walk into your hearing 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.

A quick, important note on the name: the official HMCTS record for family matters in the Taunton area is Taunton Crown, County and Family Court, based at The Shire Hall, Taunton, TA1 4EU. Family cases — including child arrangements, domestic abuse, divorce and adoption — are dealt with here. Two things to know before you travel:

The Shire Hall is currently closed for building works. While it is closed, HMCTS directs users to Taunton Magistrates' Court, Tribunals and Family Hearing Centre at St John's Road, Taunton, TA1 4AX for relevant business (including crown-court enquiries). If you have a family hearing, check your notice of hearing carefully and confirm with the court which building you are expected at.
Note that HMCTS lists the family jurisdiction under the combined "Crown, County and Family Court" record, not a separate "Taunton County and Family Court" entry — the two are the same HMCTS Family Court (location code 347), and the Shire Hall building simply also hosts criminal and civil work.

The essentials

Court for family matters (official): Taunton Crown, County and Family Court, The Shire Hall, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4EU *(currently closed for building works — see note above)*
Family Hearing Centre (while the Shire Hall is closed for works): Taunton Magistrates' Court, Tribunals and Family Hearing Centre, St John's Road, Taunton, TA1 4AX
Phone (main enquiries / HMCTS National Contact Centre — civil, family & paper process including C100): 0300 123 5577 (Mon–Fri; also the number to call if you have a disability and need help attending — counter open Mon–Fri 10am–2pm)
Phone (Crown court): 01823 257 084 (Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm)
Phone (disability help at the Family Hearing Centre / Courts and Tribunals Service Centre): 0330 808 4407
Phone (Family Private Law): 0300 323 0185 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)
Phone (Family Public Law — children in care): 0330 808 4424 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)
Phone (Support Through Court for litigants in person): 0300 081 0006
Email (family applications, including C100): family.taunton.countycourt@justice.gov.uk
Email (county court general enquiries): Enquiries.taunton.countycourt@justice.gov.uk
Family Court location code: 347 · County Court location code: 347 · Crown Court: 459 · DX: 98410 Taunton 2
Court type: the family court for the Taunton area sits within the combined "Taunton Crown, County and Family Court" building (family jurisdiction alongside county, civil and criminal work)
Counter / building opening times (official): court open Mon–Fri, 8.30am–5pm; civil counter Mon–Fri, 10am–2pm
Counter service: civil enquiries 10am–2pm
verifiedAt: 2026-08-27 (checked against the official HMCTS page)

Contact and enquiries (official HMCTS details)

These are the contact routes listed on the official HMCTS "Find a court or tribunal" page for Taunton Crown, County and Family Court, with the family-relevant lines pulled out.

Telephone

Main enquiries / National Contact Centre for Civil & Family Court: 0300 123 5577 (Mon–Fri) — the main route for paper-based family applications, including C100, and general family enquiries; also the disability-assistance number for the Shire Hall.
Crown court enquiries: 01823 257 084 (Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm) — for crown queries, HMCTS directs you to Taunton Magistrates' Court, St John's Road, TA1 4AX.
Disability help at the Family Hearing Centre (Courts and Tribunals Service Centre): 0330 808 4407.
Family Private Law (C100, child arrangements and domestic abuse applications): 0300 323 0185 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm).
Family Public Law (children in care): 0330 808 4424 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm).
Support Through Court (independent charity for litigants in person): 0300 081 0006.

Email (@justice.gov.uk)

Family applications (including C100): family.taunton.countycourt@justice.gov.uk — the family line covers family applications including C100.
County court general enquiries: Enquiries.taunton.countycourt@justice.gov.uk

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 matter to Action Fraud. HMCTS scam warning (gov.uk)

Getting there & access

The Shire Hall sits on the edge of Taunton town centre, close to the north bank of the River Tone (the building leads onto Castle Green / The Crescent). The main family/civil entrance is off the town centre.

Important — building works: the Shire Hall is currently closed for building works, and the official page notes the lift is out of action. If your hearing is listed at the St John's Road Family Hearing Centre instead (Taunton Magistrates' Court, TA1 4AX), that building has lifts to all floors and accessible toilets on the first floor. Always check your notice of hearing for the named venue.

On foot / public transport

Taunton railway station is roughly a 15-minute walk from the Shire Hall (or a short bus/taxi ride). Check National Rail Enquiries for live times before you travel.
Local bus routes serve the town centre; the officials note parking at the Magistrates' Court is limited and suggest public transport nearby.

By car

There is no parking at the Shire Hall building itself. The official page notes paid off-site parking within 500m — Crescent car park, Tangier car park and Enfield car park — with limited on-site parking for blue badge holders. Check parking carefully before you travel.

Check live travel before you go — engineering works, the ongoing building works, lift closures and traffic can change things on the day. Arrive early; court staff deal with many people daily, and a hurried arrival only adds stress.

Facilities and accessibility (official HMCTS details)

Per the official HMCTS page for Taunton Crown, County and Family Court:

Disabled access: level access to the building entrance and courtroom; the lift is currently out of action due to building works — if you need step-free access, call 0300 123 5577 before you travel to confirm arrangements.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower: lanyards available on request.
Assistance dogs: welcome.
Hearing loop: hearing-enhancement facilities available by prior arrangement — contact the court office by telephone or email.
Security: all users and possessions are searched on entry (security arch). Alert the security officer if you have a pacemaker.
Toilets: public toilets on the ground floor; disabled toilets on the ground and first floors (baby changing available in the ground-floor disabled toilets).
Refreshments: hot and cold drinks vending machines on the ground floor.
Interview / consultation rooms and separate witness waiting areas are available.
Video facilities: court/hearing-room video conferencing and prison-to-court video link by prior arrangement; Wi-Fi for criminal professional users only.
If you have a disability and need help coming to a hearing, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577 (Shire Hall) or 0330 808 4407 (Family Hearing Centre).

What this court handles

Taunton Crown, County and Family Court is a multi-jurisdiction centre. On the official HMCTS page, the family-relevant work this location handles includes:

Childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner (child arrangements / C100)
Divorce hearings
Domestic abuse matters (FL401 / non-molestation and occupation orders)
Adoption
The court also handles a range of civil, criminal and other business (bankruptcy, housing, money claims, crime, single justice procedure, and some high court work)

Not every family case will be heard at the Shire Hall. If you are unsure where your matter belongs:

Check your court documents. The notice of hearing and correspondence you receive will name the court and address where you are expected — given the building works, this is especially important right now.
Ask the court. Call the HMCTS National Contact Centre on 0300 123 5577, and court staff will 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 contact that both parents can agree on, rather than deciding everything then and there.
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. Support Through Court (0300 081 0006) helps litigants in person. 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 help is available. Domestic-abuse matters are among the case types handled at this court. 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 may be able to apply urgently, with the court sometimes able to hear the case 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-emergency concerns or to report something that is not an emergency.

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, 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 can access, so take care when researching this information or applying for an order. If you are worried your device may be monitored, use a service you trust, a device you know is private, or a public computer such as one in a library.

A practical first-visit checklist

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

[ ] Confirm the court name and address on your notice of hearing — and, given the current building works at the Shire Hall, confirm whether you are expected at the Shire Hall (TA1 4EU) or the St John's Road Family Hearing Centre (TA1 4AX).
[ ] If unsure it is the right court, call HMCTS on 0300 123 5577 about your case, referencing your case number.
[ ] If you have a disability and need help attending, contact the court in advance on 0300 123 5577 (Shire Hall) or 0330 808 4407 (St John's Road).
[ ] Plan your journey and arrival time — and check where to park, as there is no parking at the Shire Hall building (paid off-site nearby at Crescent / Tangier / Enfield car parks; limited blue-badge space on site).
[ ] 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 wait 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 and reachable staff are there to help you navigate the building and 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, Taunton Crown, County and Family Court, 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. 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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