A solicitor who became a professional McKenzie Friend after 20 years in practise, has hit out at the burden imposed on high street practitioners, which he said cost him almost £2m and pushed him into personal bankruptcy.
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Legal Futures, 6th August 2015
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Giving McKenzie friends permission to speak in court would drive a bulldozer through the Legal Services Act, which was intended to regulate reserved activities, criminal barristers have said.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 1st April 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The Financial Remedies Working Group (“the group”) was established by the President of the Family Division in June 2014. It has been chaired by Nicholas Mostyn J and Stephen Cobb J.
The group produced an interim report on 31 July 2014, making a number of recommendations. This final report should be read in conjunction with that interim report.’
Judiciary of England and Wales, 28th January 2015
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
‘A new report on litigants in person in private family law cases has added to concerns over the value and legitimacy of McKenzie Friends in the legal services market. The report, commissioned and published by the Ministry of Justice, into litigants in person in the family courts (here) found the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s recommendation that professional McKenzie Friends be recognised as a legitimate part of the market (reported here) ‘somewhat surprising’.’
LegalVoice, 4th December 2014
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
‘If you were in the desperate position of needing brain surgery, would you be content for someone with no medical training, but who had seen quite a few brain operations, to carry out yours?
BBC News, 10th November 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The oversight legal regulator has given a muted backing to the emergence of fee-charging McKenzie friends. Legal Services Board chairman Sir Michael Pitt (pictured) supported the suggestion that paid legal advisers should be recognised as a “legitimate feature” of the legal services market.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd September 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Fee-charging McKenzie friends increase access to justice and make up a “legitimate feature of the modern legal market”, according to a report published today by watchdog the Legal Services Consumer Panel. The president of the Law Society described the panel’s findings as “worrying”.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 17th April 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in January.’
Family Law Update, 2nd February 2014
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel has begun an investigation into the emergence of ‘professional’ McKenzie Friends who charge litigants in person for their services, it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 7th January 2014
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
“The Judicial Working Group on Litigants in Person – Report, July 2013.”
Judiciary of England and Wales, 5th July 2013
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“RE F (CHILDREN) 14 May 2013, Court of Appeal – A topical case, this, given legal aid cutbacks. It concerns the ability of unrepresented litigants to choose those to help them out as advocates in court. Not an unconstrained right, as this case demonstrates. The High Court ruled that a judge had been entitled to refuse an application for a particular person to act as a McKenzie friend despite that individual not being present in court at the time of the application. The Court of Appeal upheld that decision.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 24th May 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“This Guidance applies to civil and family proceedings in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), the High Court of Justice, the County Courts and the Family Proceedings Court in the Magistrates’ Courts.”
Judiciary of England and Wales, 12th July 2010
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“President of the Family Division Guidance: McKenzie Friends October 2008.”
Judiciary of England and Wales, 16th October 2008
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
President’s Guidance: McKenzie Friends (PDF)
President of the Family Division, 14th April 2008
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
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