Which court has my records?

It can be difficult to find out which court has your records 

Because each court is managed separately, each court is responsible for their records and may not know what records other courts have.  

You may not know which court heard the case you are looking for records from. If you do not know, you can: 

• start by contacting the relevant court in the region you think the court case happened in (find the contact details of courtsopen_in_new)
• phone the courts on 0808 268 787 for advice. 

If the court you contacted does not have your records, they may be able to help you find which court does. Depending on the court, they may transfer your request to the appropriate court – or you may have to ask them to transfer it. However, unfortunately some courts might not do this.  

The Family Court and the Youth Court are most likely to have court records of interest 

Different courts have records for different types of cases. Courts that are likely to have court records related to the guardianship or care of young people are: 

• the Family Court (part of the District Court). This court has cases related to:
  • adoptions
  • the care and protection of children and young people and
  • other family matters
• the Youth Court (part of the District Court). This court has cases related to:
  • criminal offending by children and young people. The Youth Court can send a young person to detention in a Youth Justice Residence. 

Learn more about the different courtsopen_in_new. Requesting court records can be difficult and bring up a range of emotions. You may want to seek legal support or find support from support and advocacy groups to help you through this process.