Free Legal Information for Cardiff — Cyngor Cyfreithiol, Any Hour.

I've been arrested in Cardiff — what happens and what should I do?

Ask for the duty solicitor — free at every South Wales Police station, no means test, and interview generally waits until you've had the advice. The England-and-Wales caution means silence can carry risk and unguarded answers more, so the free professional comes first. If charged, your case starts at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Fitzalan Place; serious matters go up to Cardiff Crown Court in Cathays Park. You may use Welsh at any stage. Our criminal guide covers interview, bail, both court tiers and criminal records.

My Cardiff landlord has given me notice — what law applies?

Welsh law — and that changes everything. You hold an occupation contract under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act: a no-fault eviction needs a section 173 notice of six full months (invalid in the first four months of the contract, or if the landlord isn't Rent Smart Wales licensed, hasn't protected your deposit, or hasn't given your written statement). England's 2026 reforms — and its old section 21 — have never applied here. Disputes go through Wales's own machinery, with possession claims at the Park Street courts. Have any notice checked before acting; our Wales housing guide covers every route.

How do I bring an employment claim in Cardiff?

Free, on a strict clock: ACAS early conciliation first (mandatory, 0300 123 1100), generally started within three months of the dismissal or deduction — six months for acts from 1 October 2026 — then the claim to the Wales Employment Tribunal, which sits on the third floor of the Fitzalan Place magistrates' building and serves the whole nation. No fees, and costs orders are rare. Employment law is Great-Britain-wide, so the 2027 changes in our GB employment guide — the six-month threshold and cap abolition — apply in Wales identically.

Which building handles divorce and children's cases in Cardiff?

The Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre at 2 Park Street — divorce, children's arrangements, financial orders and domestic-abuse injunctions all run there. The law is the shared England-and-Wales regime: no-fault divorce online in about six months minimum, children's arrangements on the welfare checklist, and the £62 consent order that actually ends financial claims between ex-spouses. Urgent domestic-abuse protection is fee-free and can be heard without notice — and proceedings can be conducted in Welsh. Our family guide walks through each step.

What free legal help actually operates in Cardiff?

A genuine network: the duty solicitor at every police station, Speakeasy Law Centre on Richmond Road (debt, benefits, housing, employment — since 1992), Shelter Cymru for anything housing under Welsh law, Citizens Advice Cymru services, Support Through Court Cardiff for anyone facing a hearing alone, the free duty adviser on possession days, free small-claims mediation, and fee-free employment tribunals. Our line — free, 24/7 — routes you to the right one first time, in the right rulebook.

Do Newport, Swansea and the Valleys use Cardiff's courts?

Partly. Newport and Swansea each have their own Crown and magistrates' courts, and local magistrates' venues serve the Valleys — but Cardiff carries the national institutions: the all-Wales employment tribunal, the Business and Property Courts in Wales at Park Street, and the region's heaviest lists. Welsh renting law and the Residential Property Tribunal apply identically everywhere in Wales. Wherever you are, our line is the same free call — we'll point you at the venue your postcode actually uses, with the deadline that governs it.