Services

How we can help you

McKenzie Friend

For each court hearing it is generally imperative that you provide a succinct professional Position Statement which will get your view and requests before the judge. Our experienced and knowledgeable McKenzie Friends will assist you in drafting a relevant Position Statement that will get your position over to the court in an effective way. They will also sit next to you in court and can provide advice on any aspect of the conduct of your case, including: (i) Points of law (ii) Issues that you (litigant in person (LIP)) may wish to raise in court. (iii) Questions that you may wish to ask witnesses.

Free initial phone consultation

When you Contact Us if we are not able to speak to you immediately, we will call you back shortly afterwards and provide a free initial phone consultation on the general aspects of your case. No cost and no obligation.

Assessment and advice session

For more specific information and support we can provide assessment and advice sessions either face to face or by telephone/Skype. Generally depending on the complexities of the case a one or two hour session is suitable. At the end of that meeting you will have a good idea of the options and practicalities of any course of action you may be considering.

Telephone and email support

With our fixed prices we include reasonable telephone and email support. Or we can provide any extra support at a low cost.

Assistance in court

Even if you are a confident speaker in other situations and are well informed regarding the court process, going alone is not generally recommended. A supposedly simple hearing can throw up technical points and important decisions you have to decide on fairly quickly with little or no support available. Our McKenzie Friends who accompany you into court will ensure you are making decisions and putting forward your case to the court in a manner which is far more likely to get you the results you want. We will help you to stop making the mistakes that many parents do when they enter the rather bewildering system.

Court documents

The documents that you may wish to put before the court include statements, skeleton arguments, opening and closing submissions are tremendously important. To ensure they will be well received by the judge and anyone else reading them we strongly recommend you have the assistance of our McKenzie Friends. Too often parents will damage their case somewhat or even sabotage it completely by filing and serving documents which are counter-productive in content and poorly drafted. We help you get your view over to the court in an appropriate and an effective way.

Informal mediation

At times if there is enough communication between the parents we can provide a realistic plan that will save you money, time and stress. A simple get together in an independent venue with an experienced McKenzie Friend can be enough to reach an informal agreement setting you on the right path.

FLD provided me with expert McKenzie Friend support to achieve a contact order that met all of my needs. Specifically, Jeff and Colin provided me with expert support to help me navigate the complexities of the law involved in dealing with children and families during a particularly traumatic stage of my life. Before discovering FLD I had spoken to a local solicitor who proclaimed that they dealt in family law but in a short discussion with them it was obvious that whilst they understood the legal system that needed to be followed they lacked the understanding of tactics and strategies that need to be employed to effect a successful result in my case. Of course, solicitors would also have been more expensive but more importantly I feel that they would not have approached my problems with the warmth and humanity that was offered by FLD. I also believe if I had used solicitors it would have taken much longer to achieve the outcome I was after.
 
I would recommend FLD without hesitation.
– Mr E. (Surrey)
Mr Jeff Botterill has assisted us in a family Court matter as our McKenzie friend. We obtained Jeff's details through Families Need Fathers website and have found the advice, support and loyalty to be exemplary.

When we began in the Family Courts we were paying for legal representation in the form of various Solicitors and Barristers, some progress was made but this took some 2 years to achieve at extortionate costs to us.

We approached Jeff to enquire whether he would be able to assist us in the continuing family matter and Jeff confirmed his terms and conditions to us from the outset, we were very happy with all of the details that Jeff passed over to us and we were pleased to have his support.

Jeff has been a lifesaver. Literally. Jeff's knowledge of the process that we have been going through is comprehensive and moreover, Jeff has a unique insight into our particular circumstances and has, on many occasions, offered us his support and advice on how to deal with matters that surround the Court case. This has proved invaluable and has helped us both cope with the process on many occasions.

Jeff's integrity and honesty are outstanding, he is a man amongst men. Jeff had complete compassion for our situation. Jeff has a keen eye for details and is extremely prompt with his responses - which has helped us cope with some stressful situations.

Our only regret is that we did not know of Jeff's existence when our Court proceedings began - we are completely certain that his involvement from the start would have benefitted the matter a great deal and not to mention, save us a considerable amount of money that we had to pay for legal representation.

We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Jeff to anyone.
– Mr & Mrs H. (Cheshire)
With Jeff Botterill's guidance, I was able to get my application successfully heard at the Central Family court and secure an order to see my 14-year-old daughter.

My application had previously been dismissed and I was losing hope and lacking the motivation to make progress. Jeff's direct and no-nonsense approach was invaluable throughout very complex and difficult proceedings. Even though we did not always agree he was able to see the best way forward and even gain the respect of the Judge. He was always calm, reliable, professional and reassuring when I needed it. I am now seeing my daughter regularly and am grateful to benefit from his experience.
Thanks,
– Mr S. (London)