This programme has been designed for people who are passionate about helping others and want to develop the skills to work confidently as a professional McKenzie Friend. For people that want to honestly help people in Court for the right reasons, and not just to try to make some easy money. People that do not want to find themselves in Court knowing half of the information they need to know to be professional and of genuine help to others.
It may be right for you if you:
• Want to start a new and meaningful career.
• Are looking for a flexible business opportunity.
• Have personal experience of the Family Court process and want to use that experience to help others.
• Already work in mediation, coaching, counselling or support services.
• Want structured training from an experienced practitioner rather than trying to learn alone.
Whatever your background, our mentoring programme provides a clear pathway from beginner to confident professional.
Every case is different
What works in one situation may be entirely inappropriate in another.
Clients rely on McKenzie Friends to provide informed guidance that can influence life-changing decisions.
Over many years attending court, I have encountered McKenzie Friends who are simply out of their depth, offering unhelpful or inaccurate guidance, yet still taking clients’ money. This course exists to raise standards and provide proper, structured training for those who take this role seriously.
In the past, finding a good McKenzie Friend was often a matter of chance. A client who feels they “won” their case may recommend their McKenzie Friend, but success in court does not necessarily reflect skill, knowledge, or professionalism. Lets face it, 50% of all parties leave court believing they were successful, regardless of the quality of representation.
What This Course Offers
This training course brings together everything Simon has learned over 25 years in the Family Courts. Simon has been training McKenzie Friends since 2013 and has supported thousands of cases across England and Wales.
This is a high-level professional training programme, consisting of 15 in-depth modules covering Family Law. Each module includes an assignment designed to reinforce learning and ensure real understanding before moving on.
The course is practical, structured, and grounded in real court experience — not theory. The full course includes over 100 hours of tuition and can be taken at anytime to suit your needs.
Mentoring
Every Mckenzie Friend will come up against legal issued that are new to them. The Mentoring is a monthly ongoing training programme covering more complex legal issues and how to deal with them. There will be an instructional video with example scenarios will be be dicussed online at a face to face meeting later each month.
You will have access to our Mckenzie Friend Community where you will find previous mentoring modules, case law, training documents and will have an opportunity to discuss your role as a Mckenzie Friend with other Students and Simon
Ongoing Support
You will have continued access to Simon Walland for guidance and support on cases you take on, including help with unfamiliar or challenging issues as they arise. You are never left to manage difficult situations alone.
Course Pathways
There are three training options available:
Children Cases Only
(Includes Domestic Abuse, as it commonly arises in children proceedings)
Financial Cases Only
Full Professional Programme
Covering Children, Domestic Abuse, and Financial Matters, everything required to manage family court cases confidently and competently