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)

Hi Jeff, I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your professionalism and support leading up to and at the final hearing on Wednesday. It was much appreciated.

– Mr P. (London)

Thank you so much to Colin once again for all the help and advice that he gave me.

We are now a happy re-United family I never dreamed possible. I didn't understand the court process, I cannot thank him enough for re uniting my family.

He was helping me write statements and filling in court forms until late at night and put up with my lack of IT knowledge, he is a wonderful guy, cannot thank him enough for what he has done.

– Ms C. (Lincolnshire)

I spent approximately 18 months working with Colin as a McKenzie friend.
Before working with Colin I had appointed a solicitor and attended family court on two occasions. Each of these hearings was confusing and frustrating due to the fact that all communication was done between the solicitors involved. Decisions were made by solicitors based on very little understanding of the facts. The process was aimed more at fighting the other party than it was at achieving anything positive by way of contact with my daughter.

I contacted Colin in an attempt to remove the adversarial approach from my case and to help me understand a legal situation that was out of control.
From my initial meeting with Colin it was obvious that he knew more about Family Law than any solicitor I had talked with and that he had a constructive approach to arriving at a workable solution.
Colin explained to me in detail how my case was likely to unfold. He outlined what contact was likely to be agreed and helped me to set workable expectations. At each stage of the court process Colin removed all the unnecessary legal details and simplified what had previously been a confused legal battle in to something that was simple to understand and much less stressful to manage. We worked together, making it possible to clarify things for the court, welfare officers and the other party.
Colin focused on what needed to be done to increase contact with my daughter, he was always available to address any concerns or issues that I had and to provide guidance with any court paperwork.
At each hearing Colin sought to find common ground between both parties rather than continuing the arguments that my previous solicitor had perpetuated. This achieved an increase in contact where previously no progress had been made for almost a year.
The depth of practical experience that Colin has, and his positive, constructive approach helped me to arrive at a situation where the other party agreed to much more contact than I would have achieved if I had continued with a solicitor. At the same time Colin kept me focused on my daughter rather than on the other party.
Colin makes Family Law work for families.

– Mr H. (Leicestershire)