Wrexham County Court: What Happens at a Family Hearing

Part of: Family Court Guides: Find Your Court Before the Hearing

Wrexham County Court, officially Wrexham County and Family Court, hears family cases at The Law Courts, Bodhyfryd, Wrexham LL12 7BP. Its work includes child arrangements, divorce, financial remedy, adoption and domestic abuse cases (Find a Court). This guide covers what happens on the day, who is in the room, what to bring and why child cases here follow a different process. For the wider picture, read our guide to your first family court hearing. It covers the law of England and Wales.

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

Where is Wrexham County Court, and when is it open?

Find a Court lists the court at The Law Courts, Bodhyfryd, Wrexham LL12 7BP. The public counter opens from 10am to 2pm, but only by prior appointment. For phone enquiries, call the National Contact Centre for Civil and Family Court on 0300 123 5577. Lines open 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:30pm on Friday. For family matters, including C100 applications, the court gives the email address [email protected].

Wrexham Magistrates’ Court shares the Bodhyfryd address, so check that your notice names Wrexham County and Family Court before you set off. Contact details change, and HMCTS warns that scammers copy its phone numbers. Before you call, check the official court page on Find a Court.

Find a Court lists disabled access, an accessible toilet and disabled parking. It does not list general parking, so plan your journey and use its map link for directions. Inside, there is a hearing loop, a waiting room, interview rooms, baby changing and a vending machine. Assistance dogs are welcome, and you can ask staff for a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard.

What happens on the day of your family hearing?

Most family hearings follow the same pattern. These steps come from HMCTS guidance on what to expect coming to a court or tribunal.

1. Arrive 30 minutes early. Don’t come much sooner, because staff may turn you away at busy times.
2. Go through security. Staff check bags and pockets, much like airport security, and may use an archway detector or a handheld scanner.
3. Find your hearing. The case number on your letter helps you find where to go. If you asked to wait apart from the other party, tell staff when you arrive.
4. Wait to go in. Your case might not come first. A member of staff calls you in and shows you where to sit.
5. Start of the hearing. When staff say “all rise if able”, stand if you can. Silence your phone. You can take notes, but you must not take photos or videos.
6. Giving evidence. If you give evidence, you swear an oath or make an affirmation that it is true. You can call a judge “Judge”, and a magistrate “Sir” or “Madam”.
7. The decision. The judge or magistrates may decide on the day, or send you the decision by post later. After the hearing, leave the building straight away.

Who will be in the room at a family hearing?

Family hearings take place in private, so the general public has no right to be there. Rule 27.11 of the Family Procedure Rules sets out who may attend:

• The judge or magistrates. Your case goes before a judge, or a bench of lay magistrates who sit with a legal adviser (r.27.2).
• The parties. You, the other party, and any legal team either of you has instructed.
• Court staff. An usher or another member of staff shows people in and out.
• Witnesses. They come in when the court needs their evidence.
• A Welsh family proceedings officer. In child cases here, only when the court directs it (see below).
• Accredited journalists. The court can exclude them to protect a child, keep someone safe or keep order (r.27.11(3)).
• Support. A McKenzie friend can sit with you for moral support and help with papers (PD36Z, para 23.2). An Independent Domestic Violence Adviser may also attend under Practice Direction 27C.

Anyone else needs the court’s permission. For that reason, a friend who comes along for support may have to wait outside the hearing room.

How long does a hearing at Wrexham County Court take?

No official source sets a fixed length for a family hearing. Your notice gives a start time, but that is when the day’s cases begin. Plan for a long wait, and arrange childcare and time off work. The building has no childcare facilities, and staff can’t look after your children while you are in the hearing room.

The length of the whole case depends on its type. In a money case, the first appointment defines the issues and sets directions (Family Procedure Rules, r.9.15). The court then normally refers the case to an FDR appointment, which is a meeting for discussion and negotiation. At least 7 days before it, the applicant must file details of all offers and responses (r.9.17). Child cases follow the Pathfinder stages below.

Why do child cases at Wrexham County Court follow a different process?

Practice Direction 36Z names Wrexham as one of the first Pathfinder pilot locations (PD36Z, para 1.4). The pilot covers section 8 applications, such as child arrangements, and enforcement applications. It applies to those started from 21 February 2022 until the end of 31 March 2027 (para 1.3).

Under the pilot, the usual first hearing dispute resolution appointment (FHDRA) drops out, because PD36Z omits rule 12.31. Our guide to the FHDRA explains the standard route. Instead, a Wrexham child case moves through these steps:

1. Stage 1: information gathering. A social work agency prepares a Child Impact Report. For a child who lives in Wales, this is usually Cafcass Cymru (para 13.2A). The work includes safeguarding checks, talking to each parent and, where suitable, hearing from the child. Where domestic abuse is a feature, it also includes a DASH risk assessment (para 13.1).
2. You receive the report. The agency must send each party a copy when it files the report, unless it asks the court to consider safety concerns first (paras 14.3A and 14.4).
3. The judge decides the next steps. These can include a fact-finding hearing, more evidence, interim arrangements or input from an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (para 14.2).
4. Stage 2: interventions or a Decision Hearing. At a Decision Hearing, the court decides the issues still in dispute and what order, if any, to make (para 15.2). Throughout, the child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration (Children Act 1989, s.1(1)).

This changes who you see in court. The officer who leads the Child Impact Report should not attend any hearing unless the court directs it (para 23.3). Our guide explains how Pathfinder courts work in more detail.

What should you bring to Wrexham County Court?

Bring what the court needs to find and run your case, plus what you need to get through a long day:

• your hearing letter with your case number;
• the papers you need for the hearing, such as your witness statement and any court orders;
• food and drink, including water;
• a face covering or hand sanitiser, if you want them.

Weapons, glass, and liquids other than soft drinks or hand sanitiser must stay outside. E-bikes and e-scooters can’t come into court buildings either, and there is no storage for them. GOV.UK keeps the full list of banned items on its page about entering a court or tribunal building. There is no formal dress code, but dress as you would for a formal public building.

Before your hearing: are you ready?

Can you ask for support or speak Welsh at the hearing?

Yes. HMCTS calls this kind of help a reasonable adjustment, and you should ask the court before your hearing date. Examples include breaks, hearing enhancement equipment, ramps and documents in large print (GOV.UK). If you have a disability and need help to attend, Find a Court gives 0300 123 5577 as the number to call.

If you feel unsafe, contact the court before the day. Staff can seat you away from the other party while you wait, or put a screen in the hearing room. In child cases under the pilot, the court must also consider how to avoid undue confrontation. For example, the judge or legal adviser can put questions to a party, rather than the other party doing so (PD36Z, para 23.5). Our guides to special measures in family court and attending court after domestic abuse explain what you can ask for.

You can also use Welsh at any hearing here. Section 22 of the Welsh Language Act 1993 lets any party, witness or other person speak Welsh in legal proceedings in Wales, with interpretation where needed. Outside the magistrates’ courts, rules of court can require prior notice, so tell the court early. Find a Court lists a Welsh language helpline, and GOV.UK explains how to get an interpreter at a court or tribunal.

What does the free initial consultation cover?

A free initial consultation is a conversation with one of our family law specialists, who gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances. It does not include drafting or reviewing documents. Our specialists assist and advise: they can explain your options and help you prepare for the issues the court will look at. To make the most of the call, have your hearing notice, any orders and the key dates to hand.

Frequently asked questions

Is Wrexham County Court the same as Wrexham Magistrates’ Court?

No. They are separate courts, although Find a Court lists both at Bodhyfryd, Wrexham LL12 7BP. Family cases such as child arrangements, divorce and financial remedy go to Wrexham County and Family Court. The magistrates’ court has its own contact details and opening hours. Check the court name on your hearing notice, and use the matching Find a Court page before you travel or call.

Can I just turn up at the counter at Wrexham County Court?

Not without booking. Find a Court says the counter opens from 10am to 2pm by prior appointment only. To arrange a visit, or for any other enquiry, phone the National Contact Centre for Civil and Family Court on 0300 123 5577. Its lines open 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 4:30pm on Friday. You can also email family enquiries to the address on Find a Court.

Can members of the public watch a family hearing in Wrexham?

No. Family proceedings take place in private, which means the general public has no right to attend (Family Procedure Rules, r.27.10). The people who may attend include the parties, witnesses, court staff and accredited journalists (r.27.11). The court can exclude journalists to protect a child, keep someone safe or keep the hearing orderly. Anyone else needs the court’s permission.

Will a Cafcass Cymru officer be at my hearing?

Not usually, in a child arrangements case at this court. Under the Pathfinder pilot, Cafcass Cymru normally leads the Child Impact Report for children who live in Wales. The officer who leads that report should not attend any hearing unless the court directs it, and the court should say why (PD36Z, para 23.3). Outside the pilot, a Cafcass officer or Welsh family proceedings officer attends the first hearing (PD12B, para 14.6).

Can I bring someone with me for support?

Yes. HMCTS asks you to bring only one person, such as a friend or family member, and staff may refuse entry to extra people. Your supporter can wait with you, but they need the court’s permission to come into a private hearing. A McKenzie friend can sit with you in the hearing room, and an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser may attend too. The court has no childcare, so arrange care for your children.

Can I speak Welsh at my hearing in Wrexham?

Yes. Section 22 of the Welsh Language Act 1993 lets any party, witness or other person speak Welsh in legal proceedings in Wales, with interpretation where needed. Outside the magistrates’ courts, rules of court can require prior notice, so tell the court as early as you can. Find a Court also lists a Welsh language helpline for this court.

Hearing date set? Get advice before the day

It helps to know what the court will ask, and what you can ask for, before you walk in. Book a free initial consultation, where one of our specialists gives you initial advice tailored to your circumstances, or call 0330 094 5880. You can also read how Pathfinder courts handle child cases, or return to our guide to your first family court hearing.

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

Expert Tip

Many parents at Pathfinder courts don’t expect so much of the case to happen before anyone sits in a courtroom. The Child Impact Report draws on what you tell Cafcass Cymru, so prepare for that first conversation as carefully as you would for a hearing. Have key dates, school and health details and any safety concerns ready. If the report arrives and something in it is wrong, get advice promptly on how to raise it, rather than waiting until you are in front of the judge.

Hannah Overton, Complex Children Specialist & Client Support