A note from our founder:

I'm a dad of two, with first-hand experience navigating the ups and downs of the family court system—both with family solicitor representation and as a Litigant in Person. After separating from my youngest son’s mum a number of years ago, I contended with false allegations, multiple police investigations, police bail, withheld contact, and a long, expensive court battle. After a long, incredibly difficult 18 months, I secured a ‘lives with both parents’ order - with my son spending equal time in both his homes.

Things, unfortunately, didn’t stop there. Continued conflict meant I had no option but to apply to go back to court. This time, with all my savings gone from the first application on legal fees, I had no choice but to represent myself, as I was unaware of McKenzie Friends at this point and what they could offer. I successfully had the order varied to reduce opportunities for friction. Concurrently, I also defended myself against a Non-Molestation Order (later withdrawn) and dealt with further baseless criminal allegations—all fully investigated and closed with no further action.

I’ve had police show up at my door for urgent welfare checks, and social services contact me over neglect claims—none of which were upheld. It’s incredibly distressing to go through, even when you know deep down that the accusations are false. I have personal lived experience of the stresses these kinds of allegations can put you and your family under.

I have also had experience of navigating the rocky road of Child Maintenance and have intimate knowledge of the relevant regulations that govern such payments, successfully having my case reviewed and closed for my youngest son after evidence was provided for equal shared care. 

I have both personal and proxy experience of divorce and financial settlements.

Things aren’t perfect now—there’s still that lingering feeling of what may come next —but life is a world away from the despair from the aftermath of the separation, when I couldn’t even say goodnight to my son for 18 months.

Today, I live with my new wife, stepdaughter, my youngest son (50% of the time), my teenage son every weekend (when his social calendar allows!), and a stepson who’s also with us 50% of the time. It’s a full house—and a modern family setup with its own challenges.

Those turbulent years were a real eye-opener and have motivated me to want to help and support others going through similar challenges in the family court. This meant an entire career change where I’ve since trained, volunteered, and now support others as a McKenzie Friend, offering practical, empathetic and affordable help to those facing the chaos I’ve lived through. My experience is lived and gained through hard times, and now I want to use that struggle to help others that are navigating the same choppy waters.