Practical Support Services
Practical support when life feels overwhelming.
Sometimes people need more than coaching. They need practical support, guidance, structure and someone who can help them navigate difficult situations. This service is designed for people facing complex life circumstances who would benefit from calm, experienced support.
How I can help
Three areas of practical support.
Calm, grounded support delivered with care. Not legal services. Not coaching. Practical help, alongside someone who has walked these systems with many others before.
Family court & McKenzie Friend support
Calm, practical support for parents representing themselves in family proceedings.
Advocacy support
Someone alongside you in meetings with housing, recovery and community services.
Recovery & life stability
Structure, accountability and practical next steps for rebuilding after a difficult period.
Family court support
Family Court & McKenzie Friend Support
A McKenzie Friend is a non-lawyer who can support a person representing themselves (a litigant in person) in family proceedings. The role is recognised by the courts and is intended to provide moral support, help with papers, note-taking and quiet guidance through what can be an isolating and overwhelming process.
I provide calm, emotionally-aware practical support before, during and after hearings. This is not legal advice. It is not legal representation. It is practical support and guidance from someone who has walked alongside many fathers and parents through the family court system.
What I may be able to provide
- Sit with you in court (with the judge's permission)
- Help you organise paperwork, bundles and timelines
- Take quiet notes during hearings
- Help you prepare statements and structure your thinking
- Offer calm, emotionally-aware support before and after hearings
What I cannot provide
- Give legal advice
- Act as your legal representative
- Speak on your behalf in court (unless the judge grants rights of audience)
- Conduct litigation on your behalf
- Replace a solicitor or barrister
Court permission & legal boundaries
Sitting with you in court as a McKenzie Friend requires the permission of the judge in your case. Permission is usually granted but is at the court’s discretion. Rights of audience (speaking for you in court) are rarely granted and should not be assumed.
Nothing on this page is legal advice. If you need legal advice or representation, please instruct a solicitor or barrister. Suitability is assessed before any work begins.
Advocacy support
Someone alongside you, when the system feels heavy.
Many people end up navigating housing, recovery and community services on their own, at exactly the moment when steady support would make the biggest difference. Advocacy support is about making sure you don’t have to face those rooms alone.
I attend meetings with you, help you prepare what you want to say, take quiet notes, and help you stay grounded through conversations that can otherwise feel overwhelming or dismissive.
Areas of advocacy support
- Meetings with housing officers, support workers or local authorities
- Recovery service appointments and reviews
- Community organisation referrals
- Navigating support providers and signposting
- Helping you prepare what to say, ask and bring
Recovery & life stability
Rebuilding, one practical step at a time.
After a difficult period, recovery, separation, instability, prison release, loss, the next step often isn’t a deep piece of inner work. It’s a calm, structured plan for the next few weeks and someone to help you stay with it.
This support is practical and grounded. We build the structure and accountability you need to begin rebuilding stability in your day-to-day life.
What this includes
- Building daily and weekly structure
- Accountability check-ins
- Recovery-aware practical planning
- Goal setting and follow-through
- Signposting to specialist services
- Quiet, steady support through difficult weeks
Why work with me
Experienced, calm, person-centred.
My professional background includes supporting people through some of the most challenging circumstances life can present.
Experience includes:
- · Prison-based drug and alcohol services
- · Homelessness services
- · Housing First projects
- · Community support work
- · Group facilitation
- · Recovery support
The emphasis is always the same: calm, practical, person-centred support. No judgement. No drama. Steady presence through hard ground.
Pricing
Priced to your situation, not a fixed menu.
Because every situation is different, McKenzie Friend and practical support services are priced individually. The level of support required can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the case, the stage of proceedings, preparation required, travel, number of hearings, volume of documentation and ongoing support needs.
As a result, there is no fixed one-size-fits-all fee structure.
Initial Strategy & Support Session
From £90
A dedicated session to understand your situation, review where you are in the process and identify practical next steps.
Document Review & Court Preparation
From £150
Support reviewing paperwork, preparing documentation, organising evidence and helping you feel more prepared and confident.
Ongoing Practical Support
Priced individually
For clients requiring ongoing support throughout proceedings, a bespoke package can be created based on your specific needs.
Court Attendance (where appropriate)
Priced individually
Attendance as a McKenzie Friend is quoted based on preparation requirements, travel, hearing duration and overall case complexity.
Important
A McKenzie Friend is not a solicitor and cannot provide legal advice, conduct litigation or represent you as a lawyer. The role is to provide practical, organisational and emotional support to help you navigate what can often be a confusing and stressful process.
If you are unsure what level of support you may need, please book a discovery call and we can discuss your situation and whether practical support services are suitable.
Talk it through, with no pressure.
Practical Support Services begin with an enquiry. We’ll have a short conversation about what’s going on and whether this kind of support is the right fit. If McKenzie Friend support is requested, a suitability assessment follows.
Serving Kent, Canterbury and surrounding areas · Online support also available.