A trusted and experienced Bristol based McKenzie Friend who helps litigants in person present their own case against solicitors and barristers in family court hearings.
Graham offers you a decade of experience in Child arrangements orders,
Divorce financial settlements, Occupation orders
and Non-molestation order hearings
Service
Confidential analysis of your family court dispute - Information sessions explaining how family courts work - Be prepared for important cafcass interview - Review of draft statements - Support to negotiate with divorce lawyers - Help you negotiate with solicitors outside court - Note taking in fast moving court hearings - Quietly give advice during the court hearing - Develop a strategy to improve co-parenting
Graham can help you present your own case as a litigant in person against lawyers at family court hearings in Bristol, Bath, Weston supermare, Newport, Gloucester, Swindon, Cardiff, Blackwood, Taunton, Worcester, Hereford, Salisbury, Swansea, Oxford, Pontypridd, Reading, Basingstoke, Yeovil and Remote court hearings across England and Wales.
Text Graham now on 07906 956035 to arrange your confidential 15 minute free McKenzie Friend consultation
Who is Graham Fletcher McKenzie Friend?
Graham Fletcher is a Father of 2 now adult children, who works as a professional McKenzie Friend. Graham is Scottish and lives in Bristol
Graham achieved a 50/50 shared residency child arrangements order in his own divorce and was successful in getting a non-molestation and occupation order application dismissed and went on to negotiate a fair divorce financial settlement without using a lawyer
Graham is a Qualified Mentor and Published Author on how family courts work
Graham has over 150+ 5 star reviews online describing how he saved his clients £1000's when compared the solicitor fees they previously paid. The reviews outline how he empowered his clients to understand and engage with the often "shrouded in mystery" legal divorce process
Who applies for family court orders and Why?
A Child arrangement order is commonly applied for by Fathers restricted in or denied access to their children following the end of a parental relationship.It is common for Mothers in such situations to make allegations against the Father. Fathers making c100 applications need to think carefully about how they will respond
A Non-molestation order is commonly applied for by Mothers seeking to prevent contact from their ex-partner.They can be problematic if you are a Father seeking to have regular contact with your children
A Occupation order is commonly applied for by Mothers seeking to have a partner removed from a joint ownership or joint tenancy family home
A Divorce Financial settlement application (called Ancillary Relief) is commonly applied for by both Fathers and Mothers. The applicant will seek the English and Welsh civil courts assistance to finalise the terms and conditions of their financial separation, such how to divide up their marital assets such as Family homes
Graham knows what it feel like to be faced with these types of hearings. Text him now on 07906 956035 to find out how he can help you feel calmer about the situation
What is a McKenzie Friend ?
McKenzie Friends are defined in the President’s Office of the English and Welsh family court rules (click to read)
In a civil family court hearing you can choose to attend without a solicitor as a "litigant in person". Family courts allow a lay person to help a litigant in person as their "McKenzie Friend". A McKenzie Friend has the courts permission to quietly give advice to the litigant in person in the courtroom, take notes and can assist in negotiations with solicitors outside the courtroom. McKenzie Friends do not conduct litigation on behalf of the litigant in person and do not speak on your behalf to the Judge
Why Choose Graham Fletcher as your McKenzie Friend?
Graham was successful as a litigant in person in his own divorce proceedings in 2014, achieving a shared residency order and a fair financial settlement. Despite significant initial acrimony, Graham was succesful in getting non-molestation and occupation orders dismissed and has positive relationship with both his now adult children and can meet with their mother to enjoy social events
Following his success in family courts, for over 10 years Graham has mentored parents to present their own case in family court disputes as litigants in person. Graham remembers the challenging experience of attending family court hearings involving the children he loves dearly and is truly grateful for all the life learnings his family court experience offered him. It brings him great joy to be a part of helping other parents achieve successful outcomes to their divorce related disputes at a fraction of the cost of a family lawyer
How does a mckenzie friend help you?
Graham will help you:
Prepare to speak in depth to a social worker from Cafcass (Family court advisor) about your family situation
Submit high quality paperwork as evidence
Negotiate with Lawyers prior to the court hearing
Feel confident to speak to a Judge or Magistrates during the hearing
Understand how court works and what the legalese language used by Lawyers means
Respond to fast-moving court discussions in court and understand what is being agreed and disagreed
Be prepared to make sudden decisions impacting on your family at short notice
State your aims, objectives and proposals for solutions clearly
To listen carefully to what the Judge or magistrates order
Understand what actions are required from you going forward
There is a risk that if you choose to present your own case as a litigant in person without the support of a McKenzie Friend that your emotions on the day of court may overwhelm you and impact on how you react or come across to the Judge or Magistrates
A litigant in person may freeze or forget what they had wanted to say to a Judge
A litigant in person may be pressured into making big decisions on the spot in a fast-moving court hearing
Litigants in person often don't know how the family courts system works and risk not presenting themselves in the best way possible to the assessing court officials
A court order could be made that you don't fully understand
Key details maybe omitted from the draft court order prepared by other parties lawyer when drafting the court order for the court
You can reduce these risks by having experienced McKenzie Friend Graham Fletcher mentor you through your court process
How do English and Welsh Family courts work?
Family lawyers such as solicitors and barristers frequently encourage divorcing women to position themselves as victims, rather than look at their equal part in a relationship coming to a end as a starting point
Graham observes this is a simplistic model as relationships often have complex, multi layered dynamics - not just that every woman is the perfect parent/partner and that every man is at fault for the end of a romantic relationship (as it is often portrayed in family court by lawyers)
Lawyers commonly encourage Women to position like in such a way as it is a very lucrative legal area of conflict. Mothers are often encouraged by Lawyers to seeking monetary gain such as increased child maintainence or a higher percentage of a divorce financial settlement
Family lawyers also encourage men not to share their own experiences of unhealthy relationship dynamics
If you are a father finding yourself facing this legal system/approach then you face a real challenge in assessing how to strategically approach family court hearings. Graham has lots of experience and insights to share with you from a decade of working as a McKenzie Friend
Why choose a McKenzie Friend over a Solicitor?
When compared with the fees of family law solicitors, you could save £1000's in legal fees by using the cost effective McKenzie Friend service of Graham Fletcher.The other key benefit is your empowered by Graham's mentoring and co-parenting experience, not disempowered to think someone else needs to speak for you
McKenzie Friends do not communicate in the legalese language used by lawyers. McKenzie Friends can help review your paperwork so you have clarity on what your facing and can help you reflect upon how you want to present yourself in interviews with Cafcass and in your important statements to court
Graham can help you keep calm in a fast-paced courtroom environment. With the right emotional support and preparation behind you, you increase your chances of positively influencing a family court judge or magistrates when you speak
What services does Graham Fletcher McKenzie Friend offer?
Reviewing your paperwork
Confidentially discussing your options through with you
Help you to refine your court strategy
Insightful tips and advice on how to improve your draft statements so that you can positively influence the court process as much as possible
Cafcass interview preparation sessions to help you prepare you for important cafcass interviews. If you are facing false allegations, this is a particularly important dimension to be prepared for
To help you emotionally prepare for speaking to a Judge and negotiating with Lawyers
Attendance at your court hearing to help you negotiate with solicitors,take notes and provide advice and emotional support during the court hearing
Co-parenting tips based on his 10 years of shared parenting experience
*Disclaimer - Graham is not legally trained
