In 2016, after 10 years assisting parents with family court proceedings, alongside my day-job, I took the opportunity to convert my part-time passion into a full-time career. Since I started working full-time as a Mckenzie Friend, I have worked on over 500 cases, predominantly with fathers, although not always, and I am now what is considered to be a Professional McKenzie Friend.

It is a role that requires strong organisational skills, compassion and empathy. Most of all, you need the ability to communicate with your client in a way that reassures them, so they do not become lost in what can be a frightening and challenging experience, usually quite alien to anything they will have encountered before.

Despite the family court process having a route map, from application to final order, which every case generally follows, no two cases, or hearings, are ever the same and sometimes we take the odd detour or we hit a dump in the road. There are tough days and triumphant days; difficult hearings and delightful hearings, serious allegations and side-splitting allegations.

In this section I will share case studies that illustrate the key procedures within the family court process, but also how their unique aspects were dealt with and how these can influence the outcomes of the Final Order.