Your future clients are out there right now.
Doomscrolling. Terrified. Looking for someone like you.
They are reading myths about family court at 1am. They are rereading the same GOV.UK page for the third time and still not understanding what a C100 form means. They are frightened, alone, and looking for someone who actually knows what they are walking into.
That someone is you. But they can't find you — and when they do, they don't know if they can trust you.
What people actually believe about family court — and what is really true
Before someone finds a McKenzie Friend, they usually spend weeks — sometimes months — operating on assumptions that are completely wrong. These aren't stupid people. These are exhausted, overwhelmed people trying to navigate a system that was designed by lawyers, for lawyers.
"The court will explain everything to them."
It won't. Judges are not there to guide litigants through procedure. They assume everyone knows the rules — even when they don't.
"They'll get legal aid if they really need it."
Legal aid for family cases has been almost entirely stripped away since 2013. Most litigants face court alone, with no financial support and no-one to translate what's happening.
"They can just look it up online."
They've tried. What they find is either dense legal jargon, outdated forums, or firms trying to sell them a service they can't afford.
"Surely there's a charity or service for this."
There are a handful. They are overwhelmed, underfunded, and often not equipped to sit beside someone in a courtroom. The gap is real.
This is what Bridge The Gap was built to address. And it's why the litigants who eventually find a McKenzie Friend often say the same thing: "I wish I'd found you sooner."
Beyond "you can sit with them in court"
You sit beside them in court.
That sounds small. It is enormous. Having someone physically present — someone who knows the process, who won't panic, who can pass a quiet note — changes everything about how a litigant performs under pressure.
You translate the incomprehensible.
Directions, DCSF practice guidance, C100 forms, position statements — these are written for lawyers. You help someone understand what is actually being asked of them, without the four-figure hourly rate.
You catch the mistakes before they cost months.
A badly filed form. A missed deadline. A response that inflames rather than de-escalates. You see these things. Litigants — in the middle of the worst year of their lives — often can't.
You hold the emotional weight.
You are not a therapist. But you are often the only person in that litigant's life who actually understands what they're going through. That matters. It is part of the work.
The part nobody talks about after training
The visibility problem
You completed your training. You understand the process. You genuinely want to help people through one of the most difficult experiences of their lives. And then the course ended — and nobody explained how a litigant who needs you at 11pm on a Tuesday is supposed to actually find you.
They are searching. Right now, someone in your area is searching "help with family court" or "McKenzie Friend near me" or "someone to come with me to court". They are going to find a generic national directory, a law firm charging £300/hour, or a training network's listing page full of names with no faces and no real information.
Your professional online presence — a real website, in your name, telling your story — is the bridge between someone who needs you and being able to find you.
A verified directory
McKenzie Friends list themselves on Bridge The Gap with their own contact details. We are a directory — we do not vet, endorse, or approve anyone listed. Litigants contact supporters directly.
An educational platform
We publish real-world gap analyses — common beliefs versus actual courtroom reality — so litigants arrive better prepared. When they find you, the baseline conversation is already higher.
A professional foundation
We build your website, list your profile, and give you the infrastructure to run a credible practice — without paying a network a monthly fee for the privilege of being seen.
Why this matters — plainly stated
We are not a marketplace. We are not a lead-generation service with a monthly subscription model. We are a platform built because litigants deserve better than a system that assumes they can afford a solicitor — and because McKenzie Friends who are serious about what they do deserve to be found without paying someone else for the privilege.
No referral fees. No ranking algorithm. No hidden commercial relationship. Ever.
If you're a litigant who has landed on this page
This page is written for McKenzie Friends. But we know litigants find everything, because you are thorough and you are trying to protect yourself. That is completely fine. Here is what we want you to know:
Someone out there needs exactly what you do.
Register your profile. We'll review it, approve it, and make sure the people who need you can actually find you.
Already have a website? You can still register — your site will be linked directly on your profile.