In a difficult and costly environment, the Family Court is increasingly promoting the use of appropriate McKenzie Friends. Whilst you would remain a Litigant in Person at all times, a McKenzie Friend can provide substantial support both within and outside of hearings, advising and assisting, prompting the LiP on important issues, taking notes and helping with documents. With the Court's agreement
... increasingly the case at many hearings ... they are permitted to address the Magistrates or Judge on their behalf. There are two common types of McKenzie Friend - they may be either a friend or family member, willing to give you moral and administrative-type support, or they could be a 'professional McKenzie Friend' and may charge for their services. McKenzie Friends are not a regulated service and therefore it can be a minefield to find the right assistance of a person who is not accountable to any higher authority. As a family lawyer of 16 years and a paralegal for many years before that, I can bring a quality service with full knowledge and experience of what is expected of a regulated professional, as well as a fully up to date understanding of the workings of the Family Court and appointed professionals, such as Cafcass. I have a wide range of experience in family law matters, including :
- Children Act proceedings, involving disputes over where a child should live or with
whom they should have contact;
- Children Act proceedings, involving parental responsibility and what a parent may
do under those rights (eg: change schools, receive medical treatment, move to a
new locality;
- Children Act proceedings, involving concerns of one parent over the prospective
removal of the child from their care or from school without their consent;
- domestic abuse concerns, where there is a need to seek protective orders of the
Court, (eg: Non-Molestation orders, Occupation Orders);
- divorce and dissolution of Civil Partnerships;
- financial disputes and settlement of clean breaks;
- cohabitation disputes and TOLATA matters;
- Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements;
- Separation Agreements
As a Grade A fee earner within a Solicitors' office my typical charging rate has been in the region of £240/265 per hour. However, as a McKenzie Friend, the rates would be less than half of that and can be tailored to suit each particular LiPs financial circumstances. All first discussions / initial messages are FREE of CHARGE whilst we agree on the best fee option to suit you. (NB: It is very important to be aware that if you are eligible for Legal Aid you should seek the assistance of a family lawyer who provides this service at the earliest possible opportunity. It can take some time to obtain an appointment and to gather the evidence required to prove your eligibility! Do not delay in doing this)
For further information on what the Court has to say about McKenzie Friends, please click on the following link:
https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/mckenzie-friends/
If you would like to discuss your case or your legal concerns with me, please send me a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
