Our Contact Centre will be closed from 5pm on 24 December 2024, reopening at 8am on 3 January 2025. National Office (Aitken Street, Wellington) reception will be closed from 5pm on Friday 20 December, reopening at 8am on Monday 6 January 2025. For more information, see Court and Tribunal hours
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If you do need to go to court, there are two types of court appearances in the Family Court.
A case conference is where everyone involved in your case will meet with a judge. The judge will hear from everyone (or your lawyers) and talk about the next steps in your case. A judge can make a final decision at a case conference if everyone reaches an agreement.
A hearing is where the judge will consider all the evidence (for example, affidavits or witnesses) before they make a final decision about your case. A hearing is more formal than a case conference.
Going to Family Court can be hard. It's normal to feel overwhelmed. There are services available to help and support through this time.
Visit our help page