Frequently Asked Questions

Are you practising lawyers?

No. Although we may have legal qualifications and may be non-practising lawyers and/or have other important professional qualifications that are highly valued in the family law system. We do have many years of hands on experience within the family law courts in a variety of important roles. Also, our knowledge is supplemented from extensive experience of assisting others through the family law system over many years. We may also have personal experience of the system. We know what works and our aim is to get you through the system successfully and as quickly as possible in the circumstances.

Do you have access to legal authorities, books, research and the latest case law?

Yes. We may have similar resources to what many lawyers have and more than some.

What are you going to cost?

Our services are provided on a Fixed Fee basis for the vast majority of our clients which may reduce the hourly rate considerably. Our hourly rate is £58.00 per hour plus Vat, please see our Fees page and our Terms & Conditions page for further details.

Will you be allowed in to court with me?

Yes. As a McKenzie Friend we will sit next to you in court providing quiet advice and support as necessary.

Can you represent me at court and speak for me?

Only at the discretion of the court can we 'advocate' for you (speak for you in court). This is termed 'Rights of Audience' (ROA) and has to be permitted by the judge. At times permission for a client's McKenzie Friend to have ROA is granted but this does depend on the individual judge and the circumstances of the case. Normally ROA would not be given.

I am nervous, mutter and stumble over my words when in court, can you help?

We can help by providing written notes in court and talking quietly to you when necessary to remind you of points you wanted to make. Most people are understandably nervous; particularly the first time but we will keep you focused and support you. Our well crafted position statements we draft for you will assist in ensuring the court understands your view and aims.

Can you help me with my statement and other documents for court?

Yes. We can assist you in drafting documents such as position and witness statements, skeleton arguments and submissions which may reference relevant case law and other authorities. Judges (e.g. Circuit Judge QC and Lord Justice's) have commented positively e.g. "excellent" "beautifully crafted" regarding our submissions and skeleton arguments on behalf of our clients.

Can I arrange a meeting with you to discuss my case?

Yes. We can offer an assessment and advice session which will allow an in-depth discussion of your case to enable us to give you an informed view of the options available and the risks of any course of action.

I want to limit or stop the other parent spending time with our children, will you help me?

We passionately believe in doing what is best for children and we believe that in the vast majority of cases the parents are the best people to decide. The Family Courts will determine any significant issues if the parents are not able to do so, if matters come to their attention.

We assist mothers and fathers who are trying to achieve the best outcome for their children, we certainly do not judge parents but we will as part of our service provide our thoughts which you of course may or may not take up in part or in full.

Research supports the view that shared parenting and significant parenting time by both parents as the circumstances allow are best for children and should be carefully considered.

If there are serious risks of harm to children which could be physical, emotional and/or psychological, then we believe children should be protected from such harm.

What should I be aware of when selecting a McKenzie Friend or lawyer

Crucially, know who your McKenzie Friend or lawyer is. You are dealing with your children and personal finances, it is too important to take chances with.

Google their name and ensure there are no skeletons in the cupboard, treat with caution any excuses for negative reports, particularly press reports.

If they do not specialise solely in family law but also list other areas of law then they will simply be a jack of all trades and master of none. Family law is a complex area of law in many respects and nobody is able to provide a thorough service for their clients in family matters if they are regularly involved in other areas of law.

Do not be taken in by websites that say 'We' but do not list and provide details of their McKenzie Friends or lawyers with a summary of their relevant background, experience and qualifications. A lack of openness and transparency could be a warning sign.

Be careful of McKenzie Friends or lawyers who have a large ego, they will be putting themselves first before your case.

Similarly be very careful of those with an axe to grind as their negative attitude could very well affect your case adversely.

We would suggest some caution in choosing a McKenzie Friend whose experience is simply the product of a short course e.g. day course - As it takes time and experience of court outside of your own case to build up sufficient knowledge and ability to assist parent's effectively.

Transparency about fixed fees and hourly rates on websites is also an indication that you are not going to be hit with additional bills.

We've got the whole country covered

WHY CHOOSE FAMILY LAW DECISIONS

Effective assistance in court
Specialist in family law information
1,200+ family cases
Radically cheaper than traditional lawyers
Skilled work on documents
Experience & qualifications
Assessment & advice sessions Fixed fees
Phone/email assistance

Dear Jeff. Thank you for writing such a good position statement. I was really pleased at how thorough you were in highlighting all the important points that needed to be brought to the court's attention.

– Mrs K. (Manchester)

My name is ……. and on the …. ……. 201. I found myself being arrested by the Metropolitan Police. I was not allowed to live in my own house. I was cautioned and released from …… Police Station on a common assault charge. A non-molestation order was granted to my Wife in my absence and I was not allowed to go to my own home or see my daughter. I was not allowed to see my daughter at her school, take her to school or collect her from school. I lost my job as a …… manager at a …………….. school as they were informed of all of the above. I was homeless for …… weeks and my life was hell. Everyone was against me. Police, Social services, School teachers. I was completely demonised, ostracized, and kept completely in the dark about everything that was going on regarding my child and my rights. Nobody cared or gave a bloody damn about me the father trying to see my child.

I had become the latest casualty in a greatly unfair legal system where woman can abuse the system to get rid of their husbands or fathers and put the man through the most unjustly unbelievable nightmare experience where the law treats the man like dog poo and puts the woman in full control of events, calling all the shots. My mental state was called into question. I was accused of being a domestically violent man etc.

It wasn't until somebody introduced me to Colin Brealey (Family Law Decisions) that someone listened to my plight. Mr Colin Brealey is a 'McKenzie Friend' a person that fights cases for men at a vastly reduced cost.

Mr Colin Brealey is not a man of many words. He is so vastly experienced in all of these matters he will get straight to facts. He will just deal with the facts not the emotional gossip or unhelpful slagging off of your ex-partner or situation. He quickly dismisses with the useless emotional stuff and gets right down to business. Just give the man the stuff he asks for, stick just to the facts, do exactly as he tells you and let him take over completely.

I went to court with Mr Colin Brealey six times. Each time I went to court he reigned supreme. He knew more than any of the judges and had them eating out of his hand. He was very influential in Court and with each hearing successfully obtaining more and more meaningful contact with my daughter.

On ../../201.. Mr Colin Brealey successfully won my final child arrangements court hearing victoriously! Overwhelmingly! I was awarded full joint shared care of my daughter. Mr Colin Brealey is the peoples champion. He is passionate about delivering justice for men. He is a no-nonsense person and will not suffer fools gladly, he will not waste words, but his actions say it all. I implore any man out there whatever your own personal story may be this is the man who can. Mr Colin Brealey did it for me in style! If anyone can Mr Colin Brealey can. He is just one amazing human being but you must do as you are told stick to the facts and let him take over completely and do his thing. He is a bloody marvel! An amazing man who can.

– Mr T. (London)

I have for the support and advice from Jeff invaluable. I decided to act as a litigant in person for a combination of financial reasons but also because I wanted to maintain control of my case and ensure the best outcome for my children. Initially I did this on my own and soon ran into difficulties (despite being a confident person in a profession which involves public speaking and analyzing information).

Having Jeff’s support has helped due to his: knowledge of legal matters; ability to prepare clear concise statements; and quick thinking in the court room. But its not just these knowledge and skills – he combines a supportive understanding of a very difficult and upsetting situation with a clear headed willingness to tell you when he think such emotions risk making you say or do unhelpful things. Thanks to Jeff’s support I have seen my children for the first time in a couple of years and am awaiting a more permanent contact order to be put in place.

– Mr C. (Hampshire)

I first came in to contact with Colin Brealey, through McKenzie Friends, having not seen my daughter for over 9 months and having been to the family court 3 times. At this stage a section 7 report was being completed by Cafcass.

Colin made himself readily available at the end of the phone or by email and always gave good, practical advice. It was clear that his knowledge of family law was vast. He attended the next court hearing with me, arrived early and, again, gave good, clear and practical advice on how we should proceed. In addition to the advice on how to proceed at the hearing, he also advised me on how to contact my daughter’s GP and nursery to ask for details of matters relating to her and gave me copies of template letters for this purpose.

Thanks to Colin’s vast knowledge of family law and his professional manner, he was able to negotiate with my ex-partner’s solicitor resulting in a final order which I was very happy with indeed. Colin continues to be available to me for advice by email or phone and I would not hesitate to contact him in the future if I had any further problems regarding contact with my daughter. I would also highly recommend Colin to anyone experiencing problems with regard to contact with their child or children.

– Mr K. (Suffolk)