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Family counselling office: help with parental cooperation
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
Free counselling, talks and courses for parents who do not live together. You don't need a referral.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 21 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.
The family counselling office (familievernkontoret) does not only help with mediation after separation. It also offers ongoing support to parents who do not live together and want better cooperation, no matter how long ago the separation was.
What can you get help with?
According to Bufdir, the family counselling office offers mediation, counselling, therapeutic talks and courses, including on:
- cooperation about children after separation,
- communication with the other parent,
- understanding and carrying out agreements about primary residence and contact.
"Still parents" and other courses
Still Parents (Fortsatt foreldre) is a course for people who want to build a good enough parental cooperation with a former partner after separation. There are also separate courses for parents with a particularly difficult cooperation.
How to get in touch
Call the family counselling office to book an appointment, or to have a no-obligation chat. You need no referral, and the service is free. Find your local office at bufdir.no.
Why it can be worth getting in touch even if things are going well
Parental cooperation can become demanding again at new life stages, for example starting school, new partners or the teenage years. You do not need to wait until the conflict is serious before asking for help.
Tip: If you have found that cooperation has not worked over time, the family counselling office can be a low-threshold service before you possibly go on to a case in court.
Sources
- Bufdir. Help with cooperation about children together (Norwegian)
- Bufdir. Find a family counselling office (Norwegian)
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.