I became a McKenzie Friend through real lived experience in the family court system. As a mum of two boys with profound autism and complex needs, I believed that social services, Cafcass, and the courts would safeguard them. Instead, I found myself caught in endless hearings, flawed assessments, and safeguarding struggles where my concerns were often dismissed. I kept asking myself: How can I protect my children when the very people I trusted to help us have failed?
In desperation, I spent £30,000 on legal fees before reaching a point where that was no longer an option. I had no choice but to learn how to represent myself. I taught myself the Children Act welfare checklist, Practice Direction 12J, and how to prepare and present evidence so that it could not be ignored. Along the way, I hit rock bottom more than once. I experienced both the exhaustion and the empowerment of standing alone in court.
What I realised through this journey is how many parents feel lost, silenced, and overlooked. The financial strain is huge, and the emotional weight even heavier. Fear, anxiety, depression, stress, and exhaustion became constant companions. That’s why I became a McKenzie Friend: to use my knowledge, resilience, and experience to support others through one of the hardest journeys a parent can face.
I can help with forms, statements, bundles, evidence logs, safeguarding concerns, and being that steady voice of reassurance when everything feels overwhelming.
⚖️ Important to know:
I am not a solicitor and I don’t give legal advice. I may choose to qualify as a solicitor in the future, but right now my role is to help you be informed, organised, confident, and prepared so your voice, and your children’s needs are heard.
I cannot win or lose your case. No one can, not even a solicitor or barrister. Outcomes depend on facts and evidence, presented in a way the court and Cafcass can properly assess under the welfare checklist.
What you see as serious may not always be viewed the same way by the court. Sometimes issues get dismissed as trivial or “tit for tat.” This is one of the hardest realities for parents to face. My role is to help separate emotion from evidence so your case is clear, structured, and focused on what truly matters for your children.
I know this journey is overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Because no parent should ever have to fight alone.