Chesterfield Court: What to Expect at a Family Hearing

Part of: Your First Family Court Hearing

Family hearings at Chesterfield court take place at Chesterfield Justice Centre on Tapton Lane, S41 7TW, which is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. This guide explains what happens on the day, what to bring, how long you may be there and who will be in the room. Our guide to your first family court hearing gives the wider picture, and our specialists assist and advise families as they prepare for hearings like these.

It covers family cases in England and Wales, such as child arrangements, divorce and domestic abuse applications, which the official court finder lists for this building. The guide is general information, based on HMCTS guidance and the Family Procedure Rules. Your hearing letter always comes first.

Reviewed by: Iblal Iqbal, Partner & Family Law Strategist, Kabir Family Law

What happens on the day at Chesterfield court?

Most family hearings follow the same pattern, whatever the case is about. Here is how the day usually runs at Chesterfield Justice Centre, based on HMCTS guidance on what to expect.

1. Arrive in good time. Aim to get there 30 minutes before the time on your hearing letter. That time is when the day’s cases start, so your case may not be first.
2. Go through security. Staff check bags and pockets, much like at an airport, and you may walk through an archway detector. You cannot take in weapons, glass, or liquids other than non-alcoholic drinks and hand sanitiser.
3. Find your hearing room. The case number on your letter helps staff direct you. If you would like one of the four interview rooms, ask the receptionist on the day, because nobody can book them in advance.
4. Wait to be called. A member of staff calls you in and shows you where to sit. At a first child arrangements hearing, the day also includes time with a Cafcass officer, if it is safe, to explore what you might agree. Local arrangements decide when that happens (Practice Direction 12B).
5. The hearing starts. Staff say “all rise if able” when the judge or magistrates come in. Then someone explains who will speak and when. Silence your phone first, and note that you can take notes but not photos or videos.
6. Give evidence, if the court asks. Before you give evidence, you swear an oath or make an affirmation, which is an equally solemn promise, that your evidence is true.
7. Hear the decision. The judge or magistrates may decide on the day, or send you the decision by post later. After that, leave the building straight away.

What should you bring to a Chesterfield court hearing?

Pack the night before, so the morning is calmer. This list draws on HMCTS guidance, which applies at Chesterfield Justice Centre and every other court building.

• Your hearing letter. It shows your case number, which helps you find where to go.
• The papers for your hearing. Add a short note of the points you want to make, so you can find them quickly.
• Food and a drink, including water. The Justice Centre has vending machines, but your own supplies make a long wait easier.
• A pen and paper. You can take notes during the hearing.
• One supporter, if you want one. If more than one person comes with you, staff may not let them in.

There is no formal dress code. However, staff expect clothing that suits a formal public building, and they may refuse entry to anyone dressed inappropriately. Apart from a face covering, you cannot wear anything on your head unless it is for religious reasons. Also, leave e-bikes and e-scooters at home, because court buildings cannot store them.

How long does a family hearing at Chesterfield court take?

Neither the court finder nor HMCTS guidance gives a set length for family hearings at Chesterfield court, because each hearing depends on what the judge has to deal with. So plan for the waiting as well as the hearing. HMCTS advises you to be ready to wait and to arrange childcare or time off work to cover it.

For child arrangements cases, timing before the first hearing follows a set programme. Under the Child Arrangements Programme, the first hearing should ordinarily take place in week 5 after the court issues the application, and in week 6 at the latest (PD12B, para 14.1). Cafcass sends the court a safeguarding letter at least 3 working days before that hearing. Our guide to what happens at an FHDRA explains that first hearing in detail.

That process is changing. The government is rolling out a new Child Focused Courts model nationally over the next three years (government response, June 2026). Your court letter and any court order are the most reliable guide to the type of hearing you have.

Who will be in the room at a Chesterfield court hearing?

Family hearings at Chesterfield court take place in private, so the general public cannot come in (r.27.10). The rules also list who can be present (Family Procedure Rules 2010, r.27.11).

• The judge, or magistrates. Magistrates sit with a legal adviser, who advises them on the law and procedure (Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, s.31O).
• Court staff, such as the usher who calls you in.
• You and the other party, together with any legal professional either of you has instructed in the case.
• A Cafcass officer. One attends the first hearing in a child arrangements case. Our guide to the role of Cafcass explains what they do.
• Witnesses, when the court needs to hear from them.
• Accredited journalists, and legal professionals authorised to attend for journalism, research or public legal education. However, they have no right to attend while the judge actively helps you reach agreement at a first child arrangements hearing (PD27B).
• Anyone else the court allows. For example, this could be a supporter or a McKenzie friend. An Independent Domestic Violence Adviser can also attend under Practice Direction 27C.

Anyone who publishes material likely to identify a child as involved in these proceedings commits an offence (Children Act 1989, s.97). Throughout, the judge’s focus stays on your child, because the child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration (Children Act 1989, s.1(1)).

Where is Chesterfield Justice Centre, and how do you get there?

The address is Chesterfield Justice Centre, Tapton Lane, Chesterfield, S41 7TW. The building opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. The counter works by prior appointment only, from 10am to 2pm. For a route, use the “Get directions” link on the court finder page for Chesterfield Justice Centre.

• Parking. Blue Badge parking is on Tapton Lane. Paid parking sits within 500 metres, in Tapton Lane and Durrant Road.
• Access. The public entrance to the tribunal hearing rooms is away from the main entrance, in Durrant Road. If you have a disability and need help at a family hearing, contact the court before the day.
• Hearing enhancement. The building has hearing enhancement facilities by prior arrangement, so ask the court office in advance.
• Other facilities. Assistance dogs are welcome, Sunflower lanyards are available on request, and there are baby changing facilities in the ground-floor disabled toilets.

Take contact details for the court only from that official page. HMCTS warns that scammers copy its phone numbers and email addresses, and may demand payment. If you are unsure, do not pay anything.

What can go wrong on the day, and how can you avoid it?

• Missing the hearing. If you do not attend, the court may go ahead without you, or refuse the application if you made it (Family Procedure Rules 2010, r.27.4). Contact the court at once if something stops you getting there.
• Bringing your children. There are no childcare facilities, and staff cannot look after children while you are in the hearing room.
• Taking photos. Photographing a judge, witness or party anywhere in the building is an offence (Criminal Justice Act 1925, s.41).
• Posting about the case. A social media post that could identify your child as part of the case can break the law, even if you mean well.
• Saying more than you mean. What you say at a first child arrangements hearing can come up at later hearings, because that hearing is not privileged (PD12B).

Before your hearing: are you ready?

The calls a checklist can’t make for you

• Whether to accept a short-term arrangement if the other parent offers one on the day.
• How to raise safety worries clearly and calmly.
• What to say, and what to leave out, when the judge asks what you want.

These depend on the facts of your case. They are also far easier to think about before the hearing than in the waiting room. You do not have to work them out alone: book a free initial consultation, where one of our specialists gives you initial advice on your situation.

How our specialists assist and advise before a family hearing

Our family law specialists help you prepare, so you walk into court knowing what the day is for. For example, we can:

• explain what type of hearing your letter describes and what it is for;
• help you understand the Cafcass safeguarding letter once you have it;
• help you plan two or three clear points for the judge;
• explain your options if the other parent proposes an arrangement;
• talk through how to ask for special measures in family court if you are worried about your safety.

If domestic abuse is part of your story, read our guide to attending court with a domestic abuse history as well. The law assumes that domestic abuse by the other party is likely to affect a victim’s ability to take part, and the court must consider measures to help (Domestic Abuse Act 2021, s.63; PD3AA).

What the free initial consultation covers

A free initial consultation is a conversation with one of our specialists, who gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances. It does not include drafting or reviewing documents. Before the call, have your hearing letter to hand, along with a short note of your questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chesterfield County Court still open?

Yes. The County Court at Chesterfield sits at Chesterfield Justice Centre on Tapton Lane, which the official court finder lists as both a Family Court and a County Court. The finder has no separate Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court entry: the Justice Centre listing covers crime and gives the magistrates’ court enquiry contacts. Always go to the building named on your hearing letter, because that is where the court expects you.

What time should you arrive at Chesterfield court?

Arrive 30 minutes before the time on your hearing letter, and not earlier, because staff may turn people away at busy times. That time is when the day’s cases start, so your case may not be first. Allow time for the security check, and arrange childcare or time off work in case you wait longer than you expect.

Can someone come with you to a family hearing?

You can bring one supporter, such as a friend or family member. If more than one person comes with you, staff may not let them in. Family hearings are private, so a supporter can only sit in the hearing room if the court allows it. Ask at the start of the hearing, and tell the court if you would like a McKenzie friend to help you.

Can your children come to court with you?

Plan not to bring them. Court buildings have no childcare facilities, and staff cannot look after children while you are in the hearing room. Arrange care for the whole day, because you may wait before your case starts. If you do have a baby with you, you can breastfeed or express milk in any court building, and the Justice Centre has baby changing facilities.

Can you ask to wait away from the other party?

Yes. Contact the court before the day if you have any worries about your safety. HMCTS says it can seat you in a different part of the building while you wait, and provide a screen in the hearing room. If you are a victim of domestic abuse by the other party, the court must also consider measures to help you take part.

Is there parking at Chesterfield Justice Centre?

There is Blue Badge parking on Tapton Lane. The court finder also lists paid parking within 500 metres, in Tapton Lane and Durrant Road. It lists no other parking, so allow extra time to find a space and to walk in before the security check.

Hearing date on your letter? Get advice before the day

The days before a hearing are when preparation helps most, because you can still ask the court for support and put your points in order. Book a free initial consultation, where one of our specialists gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances. You can also read our guide to your first family court hearing.

General information about the law in England and Wales, not advice on your circumstances.

Expert Tip

Parents often arrive with a bag of papers and no plan for what to say. Before the day, write three things on one page: what you are asking the court for, why it helps your child, and what you could agree to. When the judge asks what you want, you can then answer calmly instead of searching through papers. Keep to the facts, because what you say at a first child arrangements hearing can come up again later.

Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist & Client Support