Raleigh Area Family Court Resources
Below you will find Raleigh Family Court resources including directions and phone numbers for the courthouse. Family law issues in Raleigh, NC are heard in the Wake County Courthouse. We have also included information on surrounding area family courts including Durham County Courthouse, Nash County Courthouse, Harnett County Courthouse, and Johnston County Courthouse. Remember, that courthouse staff cannot give you legal advice. Each county has its own local rules, forms, and requirements. If you decide to represent yourself you will be responsible for knowing the laws, evidence rules, and civil procedure as if you were an attorney. Trying your own custody case is akin to doing your own open heart surgery. It is not advisable. You should consult with an attorney before filing anything.
Raleigh Family Court Resources - Wake County Courthouse:
Wake County Custody Mediation
(919) 792-4425
Wake County Child Support Enforcement
(919) 856-6630
InterAct
(919) 828-7501
Helpful Reading in Custody Cases
What happens at a family court trial and the types of child custody in North Carolina.
Raleigh Family Court - Wake County Do-it-Yourself Forms
- Please note that the courthouse staff cannot give you legal advice or help you. If you represent yourself, you are expected to know civil procedure rules and evidence rules as if you were an attorney.
Wake County Child Custody/Visitation
Wake County Modification of Child Custody or Visitation
Wake County Motion for Order to Show Cause
Wake County Registration of Foreign Child Custody Order
Wake County Expedited Enforcement of Foreign Child Custody Order
Parent Education Classes:
Parent education classes are required. The classes focus on teaching parents co-parenting skills.
Wake County Parent Education Classes:
- Parents Forever: Triangle Family Services
3937 Western Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 821-0790
www.tfsnc.org/
To register or for additional information, please call (919) 821-0790 x 333 - Crossroads of Parenting & Divorce
Raleigh classes:
Contact Donna Moore: (919) 787-5897;
[email protected]
Durham Parent Education classes:
- Contact Lepage Associates: (919) 572-0000;
[email protected]
Chapel Hill Parent Education classes:
- Contact Kit Stanley: (919) 932-1362
[email protected]
Supervised Visitation Program
- Time Together: Triangle Family Services
3937 Western Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 836-8740
www.tfsnc.org/ - All Kids 1st Visitation Services
(919) 995-8737
[email protected]
Guardian Ad Litem Program
(919) 792-5353
Court Directions and Contact Information:
Durham County Courthouse
(919) 808-3000
510 South Dillard St
Durham, NC 27701
Building opens at 8:15 a.m.; offices open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Harnett County Courthouse
(910) 814-4600
Main Courthouse Physical Address:
301 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd., Suite 100
Lillington, NC 27546
Courthouse hours of operation are from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Johnston County Courthouse
(919) 209-5400
Physical Address:
207 E Johnston St
Smithfield, NC 27577
Mailing Address:
PO Box 297
Smithfield, NC 27577
Building Opens and Operating hours for the courthouse are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Nash County Courthouse
(252) 220-3000
234 W Washington St
Nashville, NC 27856
Operating hours for the courthouse are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The doors to the courthouse open at 7:30 a.m.
Wake County Courthouse
(919) 792-4000
Physical Address:
316 Fayetteville St. Mall
Raleigh NC 27601
Mailing Address:
PO Box 351
Raleigh NC 27602
Operating hours for the Wake County Justice Center and Wake County Courthouse are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Doors open at 8am. Arrive early to go through security.
Getting to the Wake County Courthouse
Wake County family court is held in the Wake County Courthouse at 316 Fayetteville Street and the adjoining Wake County Justice Center at 300 South Salisbury Street, both in downtown Raleigh. Check your notice or the online calendar for which building and which courtroom. Everyone passes through security screening, and the line is longest between 8:30 and 9:15. Parking is in paid decks and metered street spaces; the decks on Wilmington and Salisbury Streets are the closest, and the GoRaleigh transit station is two blocks away. Allow 30 minutes from parking to courtroom. Our Raleigh office is on Fayetteville Street, a short walk from the courthouse.
How Family Cases Move Through Wake County Family Court
Wake County operates a unified Family Court (the Tenth Judicial District), so one judge is assigned to all of a family's related cases and Family Court case coordinators manage scheduling. The district's local rules are detailed and strictly applied. What to expect:
- Case management orders. Shortly after a custody, support or equitable distribution claim is filed, the court issues an order setting deadlines for financial affidavits, the equitable distribution inventory, discovery, mediation and a trial-ready date. Missing a deadline can result in sanctions or exclusion of evidence.
- Custody mediation and parent education. Both are mandatory in contested custody cases. Parents attend a custody mediation orientation and session through the court program, and each must complete an approved parent education class and file the certificate before the custody trial. Attorneys do not attend mediation.
- Financial affidavits on Wake County's form. The Wake County financial affidavit is required in every support and alimony case and is exchanged early. It is not the same as the Mecklenburg or Durham form.
- Mediated settlement conferences are required in equitable distribution cases and usually cover alimony and child support at the same time, with a certified family financial mediator chosen by the parties.
- eCourts. Wake was among the first counties to move to electronic filing. Attorneys must e-file; self-represented parties may use the Judicial Branch Guide & File system or file on paper at the clerk's office.
Our Raleigh attorneys appear in Wake County Family Court weekly. For the statewide forms, see NC court forms.
Raleigh Family Court FAQ
Where do I file a custody or divorce case in Raleigh?
With the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court, Civil Division, in the courthouse at 316 Fayetteville Street, or electronically through eCourts. Filing fees are $225 for a new civil action and $20 for most motions; fee waivers are available.
Do I have to take a parenting class?
In a contested Wake County custody case, yes. The court will not hold the custody trial until both parents have filed proof of completing an approved class. The providers listed above offer them regularly, some online.
How do I get an emergency protective order in Wake County?
During business hours, file at the clerk's office in the courthouse; InterAct advocates are available to help. After hours, a magistrate at the Wake County Detention Center on Hammond Road can issue an emergency domestic violence protective order. The return hearing is set within ten days.
Where can I find the Wake County local rules?
On the Wake County page of the Judicial Branch website, linked above, under Local Rules and Forms. The Family Court rules, the financial affidavit and the equitable distribution inventory form are all there. Read them before filing; the court expects compliance from self-represented parties too.
My case is in Durham, Johnston, Harnett or Nash County. Does this apply?
The law is the same, but each district has its own local rules and forms, and only Durham also operates a unified Family Court. Check each county's Judicial Branch page before you file.
Addresses, phone numbers, class providers and hours are provided as a convenience and change without notice. Please confirm before you rely on them. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Looking for Family Court in Charlotte, NC - Mecklenburg County? Visit our Charlotte Family Court Resources Page.