Frequently Asked Questions

A McKenzie friend assists a Litigant in Person (LIP) in a court of law in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia by prompting, taking notes and quietly giving advice. They need not be legally trained or have any professional legal qualifications.

The right to a McKenzie friend was established in the 1970 case of McKenzie v McKenzie. See the next tab.

Although in many cases a McKenzie friend may be an actual friend, it is often somebody with knowledge of the area and the presumption is heavily in favour of admitting a McKenzie friend into court. Our team go a step further with some qualifying as independent paralegals.

In England and Wales, a Litigant In Person is an individual, company or organisation that has rights of audience (this is, the right to address the court) and is not represented in a court of England and Wales by a solicitor or barrister. Instructing a barrister and not a solicitor, for example through the Public Access Scheme, however, does not prevent the party on whose behalf the barrister had been instructed from being a litigant in person

The term litigant in person is also used in the similar (but separate) legal systems of Irish law and Northern Irish law

When parents separate and there are children involved they can often find themselves isolated and cut-off from them. Separation is difficult on the adults and children are often forgotten. Applications to family court for child arrangements should always be the last resort. But the process is there if needed. A court will place the children at the centre of their decision making process. A child has a right to spend time with both parents, provided it is safe to do so. 

We specialize in a wide range of family law cases, including divorce and financial remedy, child arrangements, protective orders, and enforcement of court orders. Feel free to reach out to discuss the specifics of your situation.

Cost will vary dependent on the type of application and any complexities. But we can assure you that it will cost far less than using a solicitor or barrister.