Get help from the Witness Service

Important

If you need help from the Witness Service from 1 April 2026

The Witness Service is now run by the charity Victim Support. You can get help from the Witness Service on the Witness Service website.

You can get free and confidential help from the Witness Service if you’re going to court because you’re:

• the victim of a crime

• a witness to a crime - you might be a witness for the prosecution or the defence

• supporting a witness to a crime - for example if you're their parent or carer

• a family member or friend of someone who died because of a crime

Check what help you can get from the Witness Service

You can get help before and during the court hearing. If you want help before the trial, you should contact the Witness Service as soon as possible.

If you haven’t contacted the Witness Service before you go to court, you can still get help. When you arrive at the court, ask the person on reception if you can talk to someone from the Witness Service.

Get help to understand the court process 

You can get help to understand what’s going to happen before, during and after the trial. 

The Witness Service will help you understand your rights as a witness. For example, they can help you find the form to claim expenses for travelling to and from the court.

Talk to someone about going to court 

You can talk to someone from the Witness Service about any worries you have. You can talk to them before the trial, either on the phone or by video call.

Someone from the Witness Service can also help you on the day of the trial. For example, they can talk to you while you wait and may be able to sit with you in the courtroom.

Find out what a court is like

The Witness Service can help you find out what a court looks like and what will happen. You can:

• visit a court with someone from the Witness Service

• talk to someone from the Witness Service on the phone or a video call

Contact the Witness Service

You can contact the Witness Service on the Witness Service website.

Check if you can get extra help giving evidence

If you have extra needs that mean you might struggle when you give evidence, there are ways the court can help you. These are called ‘special measures’. 

You can check if you can get special measures from the court.