Welcome to Cleveland and South Durham Family Justice

This website has been created by the Designated Family Judge (DFJ) for Cleveland and South Durham.

The current DFJ is HHJ Murray. The deputy DFJ is HHJ Moreton. Judge Moreton is also the Financial Remedy Lead Judge for Cleveland, Durham & Northumbria. 

The DFJ leads family justice over a geographical area that includes South Durham, Darlington and the Tees Valley. 

It is an area which covers 6 different local authorities: Durham County Council (south), Darlington Borough Council, Stockton-on Tees Council, Middlesbrough Council, Hartlepool Council and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Our local family justice system include a number of different tiers of judiciary:

• Magistrates sit in the Magistrates' Court, supported and assisted by Legal Advisors. 

• District Judges and Circuit Judges primarily sit at the Combined Court Centre in Middlesbrough, although they also sit at Darlington County Court and Darlington Magistrates' Court. 

• We have two circuit Judges who are also authorised to sit in the High Court.