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McKenzie Friend Family Court Support UK

If you are representing yourself in family proceedings, we provide structured McKenzie Friend support and practical preparation.

From £99

per hearing / initial assessment

Get your free assessment

Includes pre-hearing preparation, attendance, and post-hearing summary.

What we do

McKenzie Friend assistance — we sit with you, organise documents, quietly advise. You remain the litigant in person. We cannot address the court unless the judge grants permission.
Hearing bundle preparation and chronology support
Practical courtroom preparation guidance
Communication drafting and next-step planning

Common questions

Only if the judge grants permission in that hearing. Otherwise, we support you as litigant in person.
No. This is McKenzie Friend style support for self-representing parties.

The process

1

Share your court papers and hearing dates

2

We organise documents and key issues

3

We prepare your hearing structure

4

We provide in-hearing support within McKenzie Friend boundaries

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Common scenarios we handle

You are a litigant in person in child arrangement proceedings and need help organising your documents
You have a hearing listed and do not know what to expect, how to address the judge, or how to present your case
You need to respond to a position statement or application from the other party and are unsure how to structure your response
You want someone to sit with you in court to provide quiet support and help you follow the proceedings

Legal framework

Family proceedings in England and Wales are governed by the Family Procedure Rules 2010. McKenzie Friends are recognised under the Practice Guidance: McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts) 2010, which confirms that a litigant in person is entitled to reasonable assistance from a lay person. A McKenzie Friend may help take notes, organise documents, and quietly advise — but cannot address the court unless the judge grants permission (which is granted at the court's discretion). We cannot file court applications (C100 forms, divorce petitions, financial remedy applications) on your behalf — filing court documents in family proceedings is a reserved legal activity. We prepare your documents and provide McKenzie Friend support; you file as litigant in person. Family courts apply the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration under the Children Act 1989.

Frequently asked questions

A McKenzie Friend can sit beside you in court, take notes, help you organise documents, and quietly suggest questions or points to raise. They cannot speak on your behalf unless the judge specifically grants permission to act as an advocate. The judge has discretion to allow or refuse this.
In most cases, yes. Courts generally permit a McKenzie Friend as a matter of course, provided they behave appropriately. The judge may ask the McKenzie Friend to sign an undertaking confirming they understand their role. In rare cases, a judge may refuse — but this must be for a specific, stated reason.
Preparation is critical. You should have a clear chronology of events, an organised bundle of relevant documents, and a concise position statement setting out what you are asking the court to order and why. We help prepare all of these so you walk into the hearing feeling structured and informed.

Not sure if this applies to you? Get your free assessment →

Family court hearing coming up?

We provide McKenzie Friend support to help you prepare.

Get your free assessment

Free assessment disclaimer: Our free assessment confirms whether we can assist, which service applies, and the fee. Response times depend on case complexity and documents submitted. The free assessment does not constitute legal guidance or advice — active work begins only after payment of the applicable service fee.