I offer a free telephone consultation of 15 min duration after that any time is chargeable at my hourly rates (see below)

*I have a general "pro-contact" perspective in how I approach supporting parents*

I think that a child should have a significant relationship with both parents unless circumstances are extreme

I will always seek to be impartial, child focussed and look for opportunities to reduce parental conflict even when you cannot currently see any possibilities for change

I am a alternative to a lawyer . I do not speak in legal jargon

I am a nonmason

I am not legally trained

From my years of McKenzie friend experience I observe that lawyers often seek to amplify conflict between parents for financial gain as higher conflict cases = a need for additional hearings and clients feeling dependant on their legal support.

I support many clients who have run up huge legal bills, feel they have got no closer to a solution and are unclear on the process ahead due to the deliberatley abstract legal langauge spoken by solicitors .

My service is a antidote to this approach.

I focus on providing clarity, getting sensitively and straight to the point and then helping you look at solution focussed action and to offer stragtegies that have worked for ether myself or the hundreds of clients who have left me reviews

I have written a book on how family courts work and during the writing process 2 lawyers confirmed my observations on how family cpurts worked were correct and insightful

I provide a service informed by my own successful experience of navigating family courts as a litigant in person.

I provide clarity on how I have seen family courts work to litigants in person so you can make better decisions for your family

As a litigant in person YOU make the decisions as you are presenting your own case

I can offer emotional support and guidance but you have to live with the consequences of your decisions and actions 

My services are provided are on a advance payment basis, at an hourly rate of :

Daytime rate

Mon-Fri 9-5pm £80 per hour (in 30 min blocks of time)

Travel time to and from in-person court hearings £50 per hour

(my location travelling from may be either Thatcham, Berkshire or Bristol)

Unsociable hours rate

Mon-Fri 5-9pm and Weekends 9am  -  9pm £100 per hour (in 30 min blocks of time)

email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for payment details

My service may include:

Reading and giving feedback on your documents, such as Cafcass and Social Service reports, Court Orders, draft position statements and witness statements.

Sharing with you how I have seen courts deal with child arrangement disputes, Non-molestaion and occupation orders, Divorce finance settlements (ancillary relief) and domestic abuse allegations. 

Helping you draft position statements and other documents, reviewing them and giving you suggestions on how to improve them inline with relevant court criteria.

Advice on how to best present your case to the court and Cafcass

Advice on how to establish a positive relationship with your Cafcass social worker

Advice on Positive Mindset Strategies and Shared Parenting approaches

Replying to your texts and emails

Advice and Support via skype messenger or zoom during hearings.

Note taking and debriefing during remote or in-perosn court hearings

If you want me to read documents relating to your case in order for me to give you feedback on how your case may unfold such as Cafcass reports, social service reports or court orders, then this service has to be paid for in advance.

The minimum block of time accepted is 30 minutes. Requests for time availability should be made to 07906 956035 . I will endeavour to respond as soon as possible

I offer a number of 1-hour information sessions. "How Family Courts REALLY work", is recommended for all new clients. This costs £100 and needs to be paid for in advance. 

Fees for Remote hearings:


Clients pay a £160 advance deposit to secure my time at the time the court has defined and for 30 mins of pre-court support and 30 mins (to debrief and send notes to you)

the deposit is non refundable in case of cancellations,

If the hearing goes on longer than 1 hr of time and I have availalability to extend my availability then you agree to pay for any additional time offering support at my daytime hourly rate of £80 in 30 min blocks of time. This payment of outstanding fees to be paid within 1 hour of the hearing finishing by direct bank transfer

If the hearing is listed for a open timescale (unusual but it has happened - such as 10-2pm) then advance payment is required for the whole duration of time.

FDR Financial dispute resolution hearings often last much longer that the time listed by court (1hr) as they can involve out of court negotiations. I'd advise to be prepared for approx 3-4 hours of time for a FDR. If I have availability to extend past the 1 hr timeslot the terms above shall apply.

If your court hearing is postponed or rescheduled after you pay the deposit, the deposit is non-returnable and a new deposit for the new date is required

Please email me This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request any of the above services and I shall provide bank details for advance payment.

For the initial reading of documents I will provide you with an estimate of the time required to complete the tasks you request to be completed for you. If the tasks take longer than estimated (as the documents are more complex in content than you first outlined) then I will complete as much work as I can in the time you have paid in advance for and then contact you to request further payment

I am not trained in law and make no warranties or representations of any kind with regard to my advice and suggestions and I am not personally responsible or liable for decisions made by you, the court, or other parties.

For Clarity

I do not take over your case or litigate for you. You do not at any point instruct me to act on your behalf like you would a lawyer. If this is the service your looking for then then my service is not for you.

I mentor you to understand the process, provide emotional support to prepare you for your family court process and help you evaluate the decisions you want to make, whilst preparing for fast moving court hearings.

Advice and feedback on your documentation takes time and careful consideration and there is the possibility despite having paid me in advance my feedback may not be want you want to hear.

There is the risk that I may see weak areas in your previous paperwork or how you have chosen to present your case so far.In such cases I will delicately and sensitively name these areas and observe ways to remedy previous approaches if possible.

I reserve the right to terminate or suspend the McKenzie Friend service at any time and for any reason, if I feel that you are not someone whom I can support

My terms and conditions and fees are non-negotiable. 

I will, at all times provide support in a respectful, honest, transparent manner. I expect to be treated in a similar way by my clients

Deposits to reserve my support at your court hearing are date specific

Deposits are non-refundable. They are paid to book specific dates in my diary and I will subsequently turn away bookings on that date from other clients. If you change your mind after paying a deposit for a specific date and notify me you will not need my services, I reserve the right to take further bookings on that day

If your court hearing is postponed or rescheduled after you pay the deposit, the deposit is non-returnable and a new deposit for the new date is required

In emailing me for payment details, you acknowledge being provided with my terms and condition information by way of a link and have read these stated terms and conditions and you agree that this is the basis on which I provide my McKenzie Friend service on.

If you wish to book my time for a call, video call or email reading time then the best way to find out when I can be available to help you is to text me on 07906 956035 (between 9am and 9pm Mon to Sat) as I do not use a smart phone with email access.I’ll text back ASAP to suggest a day and time when I can complete the work/schedule a call. Ideally this will be within a couple of hours.Please do not call or text me after 9pm

In addition to the skill set described above I can also offer “emotional repair “sessions” facilitating Holistic self healing techniques that are very effective in dealing with the emotional impact of past relationships and stress and anxiety about court hearings

I am offer Psych-k, Emotion Code and Metaphysical anatomy techniques.These are dynamic techniques that release trapped emotions and instal positive belief statements about future relationships into your subconscious mind