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    Close Protection for a Family Court or Divorce Hearing

    Scenario Guides20 September 20267 min read
    Last reviewed: 2026-09-20 · VIP Protection Services Editorial Desk · SIA licensed · BS 7858 vetted · 020 3488 5714

    > Short answer: Yes — discreet SIA-licensed officers can accompany a client to and from family court, manage arrival and departure separation from the other party, and provide residential cover during a contested period where the risk assessment supports it.

    The canonical service page for this requirement is Close Protection. This guide sets out what the arrangement involves, what shapes the plan, and how to arrange it confidentially.

    What Does This Involve in Practice?

    • Arrival and departure timings are staggered so the parties do not meet on the street
    • Officers work in business dress and do not enter the courtroom unless permitted
    • Documents, phones and personal items need a controlled handover point
    • Contested periods can bring pressure at the home address as well as at court

    Who Asks for This?

    • Private clients in contested proceedings
    • Solicitors instructing on behalf of a client
    • Parents concerned about handover arrangements
    • Clients whose address or schedule is known to the other party

    How Is It Arranged?

  1. Confidential consultation. A private conversation with a senior advisor covering the concern, the exposure and the timeframe.
  2. Written risk assessment. Locations, routes, venues, public exposure and timings reviewed and documented before anyone deploys — see Security Risk Assessment.
  3. Agreed written scope. Officer numbers, hours, vehicles, contingencies and communications set out in writing for you to approve.
  4. Deployment and written debrief. SIA-licensed, BS 7858-screened officers deploy, and you receive a written record of what was done.
  5. What Should You Ask Any Provider?

    • Is every officer's SIA licence valid today, and on which register can I check it?
    • Who carried out the risk assessment, and will I see it in writing?
    • Is the quotation itemised — officers, hours, vehicles, travel?
    • Who is my point of contact at 3am, and who supervises the officers on the ground?
    • What are the written confidentiality terms, and who else sees my details?

    If a provider will not answer those five questions in writing, the price is irrelevant.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Will officers be obvious at court?

    No. Low-profile business dress is the default, and officers position themselves so the support is not visible to other parties or press.

    Can officers attend child handovers?

    Where lawful and appropriate, officers can provide discreet presence at agreed handover locations. We do not intervene in legal arrangements.

    Are the officers used for court attendance protection SIA licensed?

    Yes. Every protection officer holds a valid, in-date SIA licence you can check on the SIA public register, and is screened to BS 7858 standards.

    How quickly can you arrange cover for court attendance protection?

    Enquiries are answered 24/7. Where suitable officers are available, cover can often be arranged the same day, subject to location, requirements and a risk assessment. We do not promise fixed response times.

    How much does court attendance protection cost?

    We do not publish fixed rates. Cost depends on officer numbers, hours, vehicles, travel and the risk assessment. After a confidential consultation you receive an itemised written quotation, normally the same working day.

    Is my enquiry confidential?

    Yes. We do not name, confirm or discuss clients, and written confidentiality terms form part of every engagement.

    Related Pages

    Speak to a Security Consultant

    Every engagement begins the same way: a confidential conversation, a written risk assessment, and a scope you have approved before anyone deploys. We do not name, confirm or discuss our clients.

    Call 020 3488 5714, WhatsApp 07460 194129, or request a confidential assessment. Enquiries are answered 24/7. Officers are SIA licensed and screened to BS 7858 standards, and written, itemised quotations are normally issued the same working day.

    Return to the main service page: Close Protection.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Explore the services referenced in this guide, or arrange a professional security assessment.

    About the Author

    Roy

    Director, VIP Protection Services

    Roy is a Director of VIP Protection Services, overseeing SIA-licensed close protection, executive protection, corporate security and residential security across the UK. He personally writes and reviews every guide, checking each against current SIA licensing rules and BS 7858:2019 screening standards before publication.

    • SIA Close Protection licensed officers
    • BS 7858:2019 screened (5-year vetting)
    • Documented assignment planning
    “Discreet, impeccably presented and completely reliable. They planned the detail properly rather than simply putting people on the ground — which is exactly what we needed.”
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