Charlotte Area Family Court Resources
Below you will find Charlotte Family Court - Mecklenburg County information and Resources including directions and phone numbers for the courthouse. Charlotte family law matters are heard in the Mecklenburg County Family Court. We have also included information for courthouses in the surrounding counties, including Iredell, Cabarrus, and Union. Remember that courthouse staff cannot give legal advice. If you decide to represent yourself then you will be responsible for knowing the law the same as an attorney. This means you have to learn civil procedure and evidence rules. Trying your own alimony case is akin to doing your own brain surgery. It is not advisable. You should consult with an attorney before filing anything on your own.
Charlotte Family Court Resources - Mecklenburg County Family Court in Charlotte, NC
26th Judicial District Family Court of Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County Courthouse
832 East Fourth Street, Room 3520
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Custody Mediation (704) 686-0220
Phone: (704) 686-0200
Fax: (704) 686-0296
Mecklenburg County Trial Court Administrator’s Office
832 E. Fourth Street, Room 4420
Charlotte, NC 28202
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information (704) 686-0260
26th Judicial District Courts Home Page
Mecklenburg County Civil Clerk’s Office
832 E. Fourth Street, Room 3725
Charlotte, NC 28202
Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information (704) 686-0400
Cashier Department (704) 686-0450
Mecklenburg County Self Serve Center for Family Court
Mecklenburg County Child Support
Mecklenburg County Child Support and Enforcement:
5800 Executive Center Drive, Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28212-8869
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: (704)432-9300
Phone: 1-800-992-9457
Cabarrus County Courthouse
77 Union St South
Concord, NC 28025
Phone: (704) 262-5500
Cabarrus County Courthouse hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on normal business days.
Court Calendars
Iredell County Courthouse
226 Stockton St
Statesville, NC 28677
Phone: (704) 832-6600
The Iredell County Courthouse hours of operations are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Court Calendars
Union County Courthouse
400 North Main Street
Monroe, NC 28112
Phone: (704) 698-3100
Operating hours for the courthouse are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The doors to the courthouse open at 8:00 am.
Court Calendars
Charlotte Family Court Resources - Domestic Violence
If you are in immediate danger call 911!
Warrant Issuing Magistrate: Intake Center, Open 24hrs
Mecklenburg County Jail
801 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704)-347-7844
Shelter for Battered Women & Children: 24 Hour crisis line, counseling and emergency shelter
Phone: (704)332-2513
Fax: (704)944-0240
Victim Assistance: Court Assistance and Counseling
720 E. Fourth Street, Suite 204
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 336-4126
Fax: (704) 336-4416
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services (Women’s Commission): Counseling, support groups, and referrals for women and women with children
700 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 336-3210
NOVA: New Option for Violent Actions
Counseling and education for batterers
Phone: (704) 336-4344
Mecklenburg County Police Department
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Department of Health and Human Services
Mecklenburg County Health and Human Services
District Attorney’s Office
700 E. Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 686-0700
Legal Aid of North Carolina
www.legalaidnc.org
1431 Elizabeth Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: (704) 971-2621
Fax: (704) 971-0180
Toll-Free: 1-800-738-3868
Mecklenburg County Sherriff’s Office
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (protective order service)
700 E. Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 336-2543
Hours: M-F 8am-5pm
Catherine’s House www.catherineshouseinc.org
A transitional housing facility for women with children who are homeless
Phone: (704) 825-9599
Charlotte Emergency Housing
2410 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Phone (704) 335-5488
F.I.R.S.T. : Families in Recovery to Stay Together
832 East Fourth Street, Suite 4351
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 686-0157
Fax: (704) 686-0172
Q.S.A.P: Qualified Substances Abuse Professional
Phone: (704) 338-3051
Getting to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse
The courthouse at 832 East Fourth Street is in Uptown Charlotte, one block from the Government Center. Everyone entering passes through security screening; leave pocketknives, pepper spray and anything that could be considered a weapon in your car, and expect a line on Monday mornings. There is no free public parking at the courthouse. Paid decks and metered spaces are within a few blocks, and the LYNX Blue Line 3rd Street/Convention Center station is a short walk. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your calendar call. Courtroom numbers are posted on the daily calendar by the elevators and online on the Mecklenburg County page of the Judicial Branch website; family court sessions are generally on the third and fourth floors. Children who are not parties or witnesses should not be brought to court, and the courthouse does not provide childcare.
How Family Cases Move Through Mecklenburg Family Court
Mecklenburg was one of the first North Carolina districts to adopt a unified Family Court, which means one judge is assigned to a family for all of its related cases: custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution and domestic violence. Cases are managed by Family Court case coordinators, and the district uses case management orders that set deadlines for financial affidavits, mediation and hearings. A few features of the Mecklenburg system that surprise people from other counties:
- Custody mediation is mandatory and scheduled early. Both parents attend an orientation and at least one mediation session with a court mediator before any custody hearing other than a temporary or emergency hearing. Attorneys do not attend. Call (704) 686-0220 with scheduling questions.
- Temporary hearings are short. Temporary custody and support hearings are often limited to an hour or less and decided largely on affidavits and financial documents, so preparation matters more than courtroom time.
- Equitable distribution has its own track. The district's local rules require an equitable distribution inventory affidavit early in the case and a mediated settlement conference before trial. Download the current local rules and the Mecklenburg financial affidavit from the county page linked above; using another county's form causes delay.
- The Self-Serve Center in the courthouse helps self-represented parties with forms and procedure for custody, divorce and domestic violence. Staff cannot give legal advice or tell you what to argue.
The Charlotte office of McIlveen Family Law is a few minutes from the courthouse on South McDowell Street. Our attorneys appear in Mecklenburg Family Court every week and know the judges, the case coordinators and the local rules; that familiarity is a large part of what a client is paying for. For the forms themselves, see NC court forms.
Charlotte Family Court FAQ
Where do I file a custody or divorce case if I live in Charlotte?
With the Clerk of Superior Court, Civil Division, Room 3725 of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, or electronically through eCourts, which Mecklenburg has adopted. Attorneys must e-file; self-represented parties may file on paper.
How do I find out when my hearing is?
Family court calendars are published on the Mecklenburg County page of the Judicial Branch website, usually the week before. Your case coordinator or attorney will also receive notice. If you have an attorney, do not rely on the online calendar alone; settings change.
Can I get a protective order at night or on a weekend?
Yes. A magistrate at the intake center at the Mecklenburg County Jail, 801 East Fourth Street, is available 24 hours for emergency domestic violence protective orders when the civil clerk's office is closed. The full hearing is then set within ten days. Safe Alliance advocates can help you through the process.
What should I bring to court?
Photo identification, every document the court or the other side has sent you, your financial affidavit and supporting pay stubs and statements if support is at issue, and a notepad. Dress as you would for a job interview. Phones must be silenced and may not be used to record.
My case is in Union, Cabarrus or Iredell County. Is the process the same?
The law is the same, but each district has its own local rules, forms, calendars and mediation programs, and the surrounding counties do not have a unified Family Court division. Check the county's page on the Judicial Branch website, linked above, before filing anything.
Addresses, phone numbers and hours are provided as a convenience and change without notice. Please confirm with the agency before you go. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Looking for information on Raleigh Family Court? Try our Raleigh Family Court Resources Page.