Family Law Links
Information, advice and support services
Teen Between
Teen Between is a counselling service designed to help teenagers cope with their parents’ separation or divorce. Teen Between’s services are also available to young adults who have experienced their parents’ separation during their teenage years.
Freephone 1800-303-191
Barnardos
Barnardos’ website includes information for young people whose parents have separated or divorced.
Barnardos’ Guardian ad Litem Service can provide children and young people involved in certain family law proceedings with an independent voice in court. A Guardian Ad Litem is an experienced, qualified person who is appointed by the court. His/her role is to make the judge aware of a child’s wishes and to advise on the child’s best interests.
P. 01-4530355 or 021 4310591
Rainbows
Rainbows is a national, voluntary service for children and young people experiencing grief and loss through bereavement, separation and divorce. Rainbows assists the establishment of peer support groups for children and young people of similar ages and experiences in schools and local communities. It is not professional counselling or therapy. Rather, trained listeners provide a safe, confidential environment to support children and young people to engage with and share the feelings, thoughts and individual ways of adapting to loss. Rainbows is a free service to all children and young people.
Citizens Information
The Citizens Information Board (CIB) provides information on a wide range of public services and entitlements, including services and entitlements relating to family and relationships. Citizen Information centres around the country provide a free, confidential service. Information is also available on the CIB’s website.
Treoir
Treoir is the national information service for unmarried parents, their families and for those working with unmarried parents. It is a free, confidential service that provides comprehensive information on legal rights (e.g. custody, access, guardianship, maintenance) and on money matters (e.g. social welfare, tax). LoCall 1890 252 084
OPEN
OPEN is the national anti-poverty network of one-parent families. It provides information, training and other supports to lone parents and to local groups. OPEN’s member groups provide similar supports to one-parent families in their communities. Several of OPEN’s groups provide child and family counselling, court accompaniment and specific programmes for young parents.
One Family
One Family provides a range of services for people who are separating, parenting alone and those sharing parenting. One Family works with mothers, fathers, step-parents, other family members and children. Services include parenting courses, parent mentoring, mediated parenting plans, counselling for adults and young people, play therapy for children, back to work courses and an information service. One Family’s services are free, low cost or on a sliding scale basis.
Parenting When Separated Programme
Parents Plus has developed a 6 week course for parents who are preparing for, going through or have gone through a separation or divorce. Aims of the Parenting when Separated Programme include helping parents to solve co-parenting problems in a positive way that focuses on the needs of children and to support children to cope with the impact of the separation both emotionally and practically. Details of a list of agencies around the country that are trained to provide this course are available on the Parents Plus website.
Cosc
Cosc is the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Details of both local and national domestic violence services for women and for men can be found on Cosc’s website.
Legal Information and Advice
Legal Aid Board
The Legal Aid Board (LAB) provides legal aid and advice on civil law matters to people who are unable to fund such services themselves. The Board’s services are provided in a number of ways, including through 35 full-time law centres around the country as well as several part-time law centres.
Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)
FLAC is an independent organisation that offers legal advice to people who could not otherwise afford to access such advice. FLAC provides basic legal information through its phone line Lo-Call 1890 350 250. FLAC also provides free legal advice at 72 locations and through 85 advice services around Ireland. These free and confidential legal advice centres are operated by qualified lawyers who volunteer their expertise and time. To make an appointment, call your local FLAC centre. Contact details for these centres are on FLAC’s website.
Law Society
The Law Society is the educational, representative and regulatory body of solicitors in Ireland. The Society has 12,000 solicitor members. To find contact details for a local solicitor, go to the Law Society’s website.
Mediation
Family Mediation Service
The Family Mediation Service (FMS) is a free, state-run service staffed by professionally trained, accredited mediators and is part of the Legal Aid Board. The FMS provides mediators who facilitate separating couples to work out mutually acceptable arrangements on a range of issues, including: parenting; financial support; family home and property; and other relevant issues. The service is also available for individuals who have never lived together, but have a child between them. There are currently 4 full-time and 12 part-time offices around the country. Contact details for your nearest FMS office are available the Legal Aid Board’s website.
Mediators’ Institute of Ireland
The Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (MII) is the professional association for Mediators in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Practising MII mediators are trained, accredited mediators. Contact details for MII accredited mediators are available on the MII’s website.
Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) – Mediators
The DSBA is a group of MII accredited mediators who are also practising family lawyers. For more information and details of DSBA mediators, phone (01) 4763824, email Maura@dsba.ie or go to the DSBA website.