Looking for help in your family court proceedings?Bridge The Gap is a free, community-built guide to UK family court, written by litigants and McKenzie Friends, for litigants. Real observations, plain English, and people who can help.
A Litigant's Guide
Choosing a McKenzie Friend can feel overwhelming, and picking from a list is a fair place to start. Bridge The Gap lists McKenzie Friends who work within the official guidance and are open about their experience and fees. McKenzie Friends are not regulated and vary widely in quality, so this guide sets out what to check and ask before you trust someone with your family court case.
This page provides procedural guidance only, not legal advice. You remain responsible for your own case.
McKenzie Friends are not regulated. There is no governing body, no minimum qualification, no standard complaints process, and no professional indemnity insurance requirement. Anyone can call themselves a McKenzie Friend tomorrow and start charging litigants.
That does not mean McKenzie Friends are bad. Many are exceptional — experienced, well-informed, genuinely committed to helping people through one of the most difficult experiences of their lives. But the gap between the best and the worst in this sector is enormous, and the consequences of getting it wrong fall on you.
Any list of McKenzie Friends, including ours, is a starting point and not a guarantee of quality. Some commercial networks have a financial interest in referrals, so ask any directory how it checks the people it lists. Whoever you find, the final decision and the due diligence are yours. This checklist exists to help you do it properly.
Go through each of these before you pay anything.
A McKenzie Friend with a personal website is accountable. You can find them independently, verify their claims, and reference them. Anyone who only appears on a commercial network directory is harder to verify and easier to disappear.
A clear, written service agreement that sets out exactly what is included, what is not included, what they charge, and — crucially — what they legally cannot do. If they resist putting this in writing, that tells you something.
A good McKenzie Friend will tell you unprompted that they cannot address the judge, cannot sign your documents, and cannot conduct litigation. If they imply they can do more than this — or avoid the question — that is a warning sign.
Not platform ratings. Not network star reviews. Real testimonials, ideally on their own website, from people who have been through family court proceedings. Ask if they can put you in touch with a previous client.
Child arrangements, financial remedy, non-molestation orders, and occupation orders each involve different rules, different forms, and different court dynamics. Someone experienced in one does not automatically understand another.
They should be able to show they understand the duty of confidentiality, and they should not be subject to a civil proceedings order or a civil restraint order.
The court does not expect a McKenzie Friend to be insured. You can still ask what insurance they hold and what it covers, so you know where you stand if something goes wrong.
The court does not ask for this, but data protection law applies to them separately. Sole traders and organisations that use personal information must pay the ICO data protection fee unless exempt, and the ICO publishes a register of fee payers.
Ask these directly. The quality and honesty of the answers will tell you more than any certificate or directory listing.
What experience do you have specifically in [your type of proceedings]?
Can you walk me through exactly what you will and will not do at a hearing?
Do you have a written service agreement I can review before paying?
What insurance do you hold, and what does it cover?
How will you look after my documents and personal information?
Do you pay the ICO data protection fee, or are you exempt?
Can you put me in touch with a litigant you have previously supported?
What happens if the judge refuses to allow you into the hearing?
Have you ever been excluded from a hearing by a judge, and if so, why?
What is your process if I am unhappy with the service?
None of these are automatically disqualifying on their own, but any one of them should prompt a serious second look.
Commercial McKenzie Friend networks list practitioners in exchange for membership fees, referral cuts, or both. That is not inherently wrong — but you should understand what it means.
When a network tells you a McKenzie Friend is "vetted" or "trained," that vetting is usually limited to what the network itself requires for membership. It is not an independent quality standard, a regulated credential, or a guarantee of competence.
Some networks require members to complete paid training courses before listing. That training may or may not be valuable — but it does not confer any legal status, right of audience, or professional regulation. A certificate from a commercial training provider is not the same as genuine experience in family court proceedings.
Why do some commercial sites gatekeep? Many keep the practical detail behind a login, a paid membership or a sales call. In our observation, the reason is usually commercial, and it is worth noticing who the customer is. Many networks charge the McKenzie Friend, not you, through membership fees, referral cuts and training courses. That makes the McKenzie Friend the paying customer and you the source of leads. Keeping directories, fee information and "how it works" guidance behind a gate keeps enquiries flowing through the network to its paying members, rather than letting you compare independent options directly. It can also keep McKenzie Friends dependent on the network to be found. This is an observation about incentives, not a claim about any one provider. Always ask any McKenzie Friend, on a network or not, to explain their fees and their role in writing before you pay.
Bridge The Gap lists McKenzie Friends who have their own independent web presence and are transparent about their experience, their fees, and the limits of their role. We do not charge referral fees. We do not take a cut. We exist to help you find support — not to sell it.
Yes. The right to have a McKenzie Friend is yours as a litigant, not something the McKenzie Friend has to earn. The 2010 Practice Guidance on McKenzie Friends states that a McKenzie Friend should be permitted unless the judge is satisfied their presence would impede the efficient administration of justice. The presumption is in your favour — a judge should not refuse without good reason.
No. McKenzie Friends are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Standards Board. There is no governing body, no mandatory qualification, and no standard complaints procedure. The court looks at how a McKenzie Friend works within the official guidance, and you remain the party to your case. Read their reviews, ask the right questions and check they are a good fit before paying.
An independent McKenzie Friend operates under their own name, with their own website, their own terms, and their own professional reputation. A network McKenzie Friend is listed on a commercial platform that takes referral fees or membership subscriptions from them. Networks are not inherently bad, but they have a commercial interest in the referral — which is not the same as a personal interest in your case.
Yes — and this is often where their real value lies. Outside court, a McKenzie Friend can help you understand court procedure, prepare your position statement, organise your bundle, help draft witness statements, and explain what to expect at each type of hearing. The in-court role (sitting beside you, passing notes, whispering prompts) is important, but the preparation work is often what makes the difference.
No. Fees agreed with you for reasonable assistance are lawful, but they cannot be recovered from the opposing party. Be wary of anyone who tells you the other side will pay their fees.
Voluntary McKenzie Friends do exist — Support Through Court is a charity that provides free McKenzie Friend support in family court hearings. Legal aid remains available in some limited circumstances (particularly in cases involving domestic abuse or child protection). Citizens Advice can help you understand your eligibility. Bridge The Gap also provides free guidance on procedure and common misconceptions.
Training can be useful, but a commercial training certificate does not confer any legal status, professional regulation, or right of audience. Some networks require their members to complete their own paid courses before joining — this is a commercial decision, not a legal or professional standard. Experience in real proceedings, transparency about their practice, and genuine testimonials from litigants are more meaningful indicators of competence.
The court does not expect a McKenzie Friend to be regulated, registered or insured. What the court looks at is how the McKenzie Friend works within the official guidance, set out in Guidance from the President’s Office: McKenzie Friends and the Practice Guidance: McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts), both published on the Judiciary website. Every McKenzie Friend listed here respects that guidance. They are your partners in your journey, but you remain the party to your case and you are the one who answers to the court.
Under the Family Procedure Rules, the parties are required to help the court further the overriding objective (rule 1.3). A statement of truth on your statement of case or application notice must be signed by you, or by your litigation friend or legal representative (Practice Direction 17A, para 3.1), and a witness statement is signed by the person who made it (rule 17.2). Proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a verified document (Practice Direction 17A, para 2.1 and rule 17.6). In financial remedy cases, the duty of full and honest disclosure is the party’s own duty under the Pre-Application Protocol annexed to Practice Direction 9A.
A McKenzie Friend may help with your case papers and give advice on law and procedure, so you can also ask what insurance they hold, what it covers and how they protect your documents and personal information. It is your responsibility to read their reviews and ask questions to check they are a good fit for you.
Danger signs to look out for:
There is no substitute for legal advice. A McKenzie Friend supports you in your case, but is not a solicitor or barrister and does not take the place of one. A McKenzie Friend cannot act as your representative, speak for you in court or conduct your litigation unless the court has granted that right. Advice on how the law applies to your own circumstances, and on the consequences of the decisions you make, should come from a regulated legal professional. That matters most before you agree to anything, sign anything or make a decision that affects your finances, your children or your home. Using a McKenzie Friend does not remove your own responsibility to the court, and it is not a reason to go without legal advice where you can get it.
Sources:
Bridge The Gap lists McKenzie Friends with independent websites, transparent fees, and real testimonials from litigants. No referral fees. No hidden cuts. No commercial interest in who you choose.
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