A charity helping people going through the civil or family court system provided support on more than 51,000 occasions this year, its annual report reveals.
Support Through Court also carried out 3,718 support sessions through its online service, a 77% increase from previous years.
The charity, whose volunteers give free advice before, during and after court, was asked for help every 90 seconds, its annual report for 2025-2026 reveals.
A survey conducted on client feedback found that 93% of 2,643 respondents agreed the charity’s work “helped me to have more confidence” within the legal processes, with 94% agreeing the service helped them “better understand” legal procedures. The same number agreed a volunteer had helped them to be “better prepared” for court.
This year the charity has been divided evenly in the number of civil and family court cases it has assisted with – the most common being money claims, housing, employment cases, child arrangements, non-molestation orders and divorce.
In an example of how it helps people navigate the complexities of the family court, the charity shared the story of Daniel, a dad whose ex-partner had refused to let him see his daughter, communicate with him or attend mediation.
With no experience of the court system, Daniel contacted Support Through Court. With the support of two charity volunteers, he worked through the relevant forms to apply to the court and begin the first step in the process towards restoring contact with his child.
Among other developments achieved in the reporting period, Support Through Court appointed three new trustees throughout the year and introduced trustee liaison roles within the organisation.
It continued to build relationships with HMCTS and court staff in courts, the report said, as well as sharing volunteer insights and client stories with HMCTS user groups.
As well as contributing to the wider legal support community by “sharing insight, strengthening collaboration, and supporting sector-wide improvement in access to justice”, the charity also participated in a special measure pilot in Nottingham, helping to test and inform approaches to improving court experiences for vulnerable users.
Funding for the organisation amounted to a total of £1,429,974 over the year, the report noted. The largest proportion (22.3%) came from university partnerships, followed by trusts (20.9%) and government funding (20.8%). Earned income was just 1.7%.
Katherine Milliken, chair of the board at Support Through Court said: “I would like to thank our volunteers, staff, partners, and supporters for everything they do to make this work possible.
“Together, we are enabling more people to navigate the court process with greater confidence and understanding.”
