Question 1

What is a McKenzie Friend?

Accepted Answer

A McKenzie Friend is a lay assistant who helps a litigant in person — someone representing themselves in court without a solicitor — during legal proceedings in England and Wales. The term comes from the 1970 case McKenzie v McKenzie, where the Court of Appeal confirmed that any party has the right to have a supportive assistant present during a hearing. A McKenzie Friend can take notes, quietly offer advice, help organise documents, and provide moral support. However, they cannot address the judge, examine witnesses, or make legal submissions on your behalf unless the court grants a specific right of audience in exceptional circumstances. McKenzie Friends are most commonly used in family court proceedings, particularly child arrangements disputes and financial remedy hearings, but they also appear in employment tribunals, housing possession cases, and benefit appeals.

Question 2

Are McKenzie Friends regulated in the UK?

Accepted Answer

No. Unlike solicitors, who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and barristers, who are regulated by the Bar Standards Board, McKenzie Friends are entirely unregulated in England and Wales. There is no mandatory training requirement, no professional body, no compulsory complaints mechanism, and no public record of past conduct. The Civil Justice Council published guidance in 2016, but it has no binding force. This regulatory gap is exactly why McKenzie Friend Reviews exists: to create a permanent, publicly searchable record of real client experiences, every one backed by verified proof of payment, so that people in crisis can make an informed choice about who to trust.

Question 3

How are reviews verified on this platform?

Accepted Answer

Every review submitted to McKenzie Friend Reviews must be accompanied by proof of payment — a receipt, bank statement, or similar document showing that the reviewer actually paid the McKenzie Friend they are reviewing. No proof means no review. Once submitted, the review enters a Pending state. A human moderator then examines the proof document before the review is published publicly. This two-step process — mandatory proof plus manual admin verification — is what makes this platform different from any other review site. It ensures that every published review comes from a genuine client who actually used and paid for the McKenzie Friend’s services.

Question 4

Is it free to read and write reviews?

Accepted Answer

Yes. McKenzie Friend Reviews is a completely free public service. You can browse the full archive of verified reviews at no cost and without registering. To write a review, you need to create a free account so we can maintain a record of who submitted each review, but no payment is ever required. The platform does not sell anything, does not take commissions, and is not affiliated with any McKenzie Friend, court, or legal body. It exists solely as an independent accountability tool for the public.

Question 5

What information appears publicly when I write a review?

Accepted Answer

Only your first name is shown on a published review. Your email address and account details are never displayed publicly. Each published review shows the McKenzie Friend’s name, the area of law and court type involved, your star rating, your written review text, the date the review relates to, and a verified-proof badge confirming that a moderator checked your payment evidence. The proof document itself is never made public — it is reviewed by admins only and then held privately.

Question 6

Can a McKenzie Friend respond to or remove a review?

Accepted Answer

A McKenzie Friend cannot remove a review themselves. If a McKenzie Friend believes a review is false or defamatory, they can submit a complaint through our Complaints & Compliance process, providing evidence to support their claim. Our moderation team reviews every dispute. However, we will not remove a review simply because it is negative — the review must be shown to be inaccurate or in breach of our submission standards. This protects the integrity of the public record and ensures that genuine client experiences remain visible.

Question 7

Who can use a McKenzie Friend?

Accepted Answer

Anyone representing themselves in court as a litigant in person can bring a McKenzie Friend to support them. This is most common among people who cannot afford a solicitor or who do not qualify for legal aid. McKenzie Friends are used across family court, employment tribunals, housing possession proceedings, immigration tribunals, and benefit appeals. Before choosing one, we strongly recommend searching their name on this platform to read verified reviews from previous clients, asking for references, and getting any fee agreement in writing.

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