Family Law Service sells completion of family court forms and preparation support to people who are representing themselves. The products, at prices the company states include VAT, are completion of Form C100 at £240, the C1A supplement at £225, Form C2 at £240, Form A at £240, Form E at £250 and the FL401 non-molestation or occupation order application at £399, together with a C100 and Cafcass preparation package at £350, preparation meetings from £150, position statements at £245 to £250, combined packages at £425, TOLATA support at £250 and a case review at £499.[1][2][3][4]
All of this work is unregulated. Family Law Service is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the company’s statement on each product page is that “Family Legal Ltd t/as Family Law Service is not SRA-regulated. We do offer both SRA-regulated solicitor services (clearly marked) and unregulated legal information & document services that exclude reserved legal activities.”[3][5] The C100 products are delivered by two McKenzie Friends, and the company’s own guide states that McKenzie Friends are “not regulated by any professional body” and “typically don’t have” professional indemnity insurance.[3][6] The client remains the applicant: the client signs the form, files it and speaks at any hearing, because addressing the court and conducting litigation are reserved legal activities under the Legal Services Act 2007.[7][8][9]
What is sold
These are document and preparation products bought by a litigant in person. The company drafts or completes a form from the client’s information and returns it for the client to check, sign and file; it prepares written material such as a position statement; and it holds preparation meetings before a Cafcass safeguarding interview or a hearing.[3][1][2][10] Nothing in this group includes representation. No product for attendance at a hearing appeared on either price list on 6 September 2026.[1][2]
The company also runs an information site on the same subject, McKenzie Friend Services, which states that it is “run by the same small team that runs Family Law Service” and that it “is a guide, not a service”; and C100Form.co.uk, which states that it is “operated by Family Legal Ltd” and that “Family Law Service delivers your C100 form completion”.[11][12] Both are company sites, described further on Educational resources.
Regulatory status of these services
Every product on this page is unregulated. The company is not a law firm and holds no authorisation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority; the SRA number 484839 that appears on its site belongs to DFA Law LLP and covers only the solicitor products, which are not sold on this page.[5][13][14] Completing a court form on a client’s instructions is not a reserved legal activity: section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007 reserves rights of audience, the conduct of litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate activities, notarial activities and the administration of oaths, and Schedule 2 defines the conduct of litigation as issuing, prosecuting and defending proceedings and performing ancillary functions in them.[7][8] The Competition and Markets Authority treats form completion as a lawful unregulated service and requires the provider not to give the impression that it is regulated.[15]
The consequences for a buyer are the same as for the other unregulated products: no Legal Ombudsman, which states that it “can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”; no SRA Compensation Fund; and no compulsory professional indemnity insurance.[16][15] The company’s guide is explicit that McKenzie Friends are “not regulated by any professional body” like the Solicitors Regulation Authority and “typically don’t have” professional indemnity insurance, and that their charges vary because “There’s no set fee structure because they’re not regulated”.[6] The CMA expects an unregulated provider to publish “details of the level of experience and/or qualifications of the staff involved in delivering the relevant services”; the company names the two McKenzie Friends on the C100 pages and describes their experience, but does not name the person completing the other forms on either price list.[15][3][2][1]
Forms completed and prices
| Form | Purpose | Price (company states prices include VAT) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| C100 | Application for a child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue order | £240 | [3][1] |
| C1A | Supplement giving details of alleged harm or risk of harm | £225 | [1] |
| C2 | Application within existing proceedings, or to join or leave proceedings | £240 | [1] |
| Form A | Notice of intention to proceed with a financial application on divorce | £240 | [2] |
| Form E | Financial statement giving full disclosure in financial remedy proceedings | £250 | [2] |
| FL401 | Application for a non-molestation order or occupation order | £399 | [2] |
| C100 and Cafcass preparation package | C100 completion with a preparation session for the safeguarding interview | £350 | [4] |
There is no court fee for an FL401 application for a non-molestation or occupation order; the £399 is the company’s charge for completing the form.[2][17] The company’s C100 page states that the work includes a “full review of your circumstances, professional drafting of the C100 form (including where applicable for SIO and PSO), and guidance on submitting it to the court”.[3]
The C100 and the Cafcass preparation package
The C100 is the application form for an order about a child under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. An applicant must usually attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before applying unless an exemption applies; GOV.UK states that a person will usually need to show that mediation has been tried, and that the application costs £270.[18][17] Family Law Service does not sell the MIAM; the company’s mediation brand and its MIAM site do, and any mediator on the Family Mediation Council register can hold one.[19][12]
The £350 package adds preparation for the Cafcass safeguarding interview. The company describes it as “a 1:1 preparation session for your CAFCASS safeguarding interview, including what they will ask, how to answer, and how to raise concerns in the right way”, covering “likely questions, how to stay calm and child-focused, and how to raise concerns appropriately”.[4] Cafcass carries out safeguarding checks before the first hearing, the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment, and reports to the court; Cafcass is independent of the parties and of any provider, and a preparation session bought from a private provider has no standing in that process.[4]
The refund policy records that a full refund is available within two weeks and that cancellation fees apply where an appointment is cancelled within 24 hours; for McKenzie Friend meetings generally it states a 50 per cent refund where the meeting is cancelled before it takes place.[4][20]
What a McKenzie Friend may and may not do
The Practice Guidance issued by the Master of the Rolls and the President of the Family Division on 12 July 2010 states that McKenzie Friends “may: provide moral support for litigants; take notes; help with case papers; quietly give advice on any aspect of the conduct of the case”, and “may not: act as the litigants’ agent in relation to the proceedings; manage litigants’ cases outside court, for example by signing court documents; or address the court, make oral submissions or examine witnesses”.[9] A right of audience or the right to conduct litigation can be granted to a lay person only by the court, and the guidance says such a grant to someone who holds themselves out as a professional McKenzie Friend “will however only be granted in exceptional circumstances”.[9]
The guidance also confirms that litigants “can enter into lawful agreements to pay fees” to McKenzie Friends for reasonable assistance in or out of court, including clerical work, preparing bundles, delivering documents and giving legal advice in connection with proceedings.[9] Charging is therefore lawful; what remains unlawful without the court’s permission is speaking for the client or conducting the litigation, both reserved activities under section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007.[7][8]
The company’s own guide sets out the same limits, saying a McKenzie Friend may “Sit beside you during hearings”, “Take notes for you”, “Quietly suggest questions you might want to ask” and “Help you find documents or case law”, and may not “Speak on your behalf in court”, “Conduct litigation” or file court forms, “Sign court documents in your name” or “Act as your legal representative”.[6] The concept, its history and the debate about fee-charging McKenzie Friends are covered on McKenzie Friend on Family Law Wiki.
Preparation meetings, position statements and case reviews
| Product | Price (company states prices include VAT) | List | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafcass preparation meeting | £150 | Child arrangements | [1] |
| Child arrangements court preparation meeting | £225 | Child arrangements | [1] |
| Child arrangements position statement | £250 | Child arrangements | [1] |
| Court preparation and position statement package | £425 | Both lists | [1][2] |
| Financial court preparation meeting | £250 | Property and finances | [2] |
| Financial position statement | £245 | Property and finances | [2] |
| TOLATA support | £250 | Property and finances | [2] |
| Case review | £499 | Both lists | [2][1] |
A position statement is the short document a party files before a hearing setting out what is sought and why; the company’s guide describes it as “a short document, usually one to three pages, telling the judge what you are asking for and why” and calls it one of the most useful tools available to a person representing themselves.[10] TOLATA support relates to claims under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, which is the route by which unmarried former partners resolve disputes about property; that subject is covered on TOLATA.[2]
Court fees
Court fees are separate from every price above. Under the EX50 schedule updated 13 July 2026, an application under the Children Act 1989, including the C100, is £270; an application by consent for a financial order is £62; and a divorce application is £628.[17] GOV.UK states the same £270 figure for an application for a court order about children.[18] There is no fee for an FL401 application. Help with Fees can reduce or remove a fee for a person on a low income. Full tables are on Family court fees.
Context: litigants in person
Products of this kind exist because most people in private family proceedings do not have a lawyer. Ministry of Justice figures for January to March 2026, published on 25 June 2026, record that neither party had legal representation in 49 per cent of private law disposals and both parties were represented in 13 per cent, with a mean of 35 weeks from application to disposal.[21] The company’s own guide states that about a third of family court cases involve at least one self-represented party, citing Ministry of Justice data without naming the release; the published figure for the most recent quarter is higher than that.[10][21]
The Legal Services Board identifies family law among the areas in which unregulated providers are active, and its research found both lower and more transparent prices and detriments including “higher than expected costs, unreasonable delays, and poor advice”.[22] The wider position of people representing themselves, including what the court expects of them, is on Litigant in person.
Free and independent help
Help with court forms is available free. Support Through Court volunteers sit with people facing court alone, explain procedure and help complete court forms, and the charity does not give legal advice; Advocate arranges free help from volunteer barristers for people who cannot pay; Citizens Advice publishes free guidance on arrangements for children and money on separation; and GOV.UK sets out the official procedure and fees.[23][24][25][18] A solicitor can be found through the Law Society’s directory, which allows a search for firms offering legal aid.[26]
See also
- Services – the full catalogue and price table
- Regulation and professional standards – what unregulated means for a client
- People – who delivers the work
- Educational resources – the company’s information sites on these subjects
- C100 – on Family Court Wiki
- Litigant in person
- Position statement
- FHDRA – the first hearing
- McKenzie Friend – on Family Law Wiki
- Unbundled legal services
References
- Child arrangements: services and prices. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company price list read 6 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Property and finances: services and prices. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company price list read 6 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Form C100. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £240 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; completed by the named McKenzie Friends; includes drafting for specific issue and prohibited steps applications where applicable. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Form C100 and Cafcass prep package. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £350 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; C100 completion plus a one-to-one preparation session for the Cafcass safeguarding interview. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About us. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Regulatory statement; SRA number 484839 shown for the solicitors providing legal advice; names the team, including the paralegal as Lucy Nord-Harper. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- McKenzie Friend: what they can and can’t do. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). States McKenzie Friends are “not regulated by any professional body” and “typically don’t have” professional indemnity insurance. 21 January 2026, updated 24 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Legal Services Act 2007, section 12: meaning of reserved legal activity. legislation.gov.uk. Six reserved legal activities: right of audience; conduct of litigation; reserved instrument activities; probate activities; notarial activities; administration of oaths. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Legal Services Act 2007, Schedule 2: the reserved legal activities. legislation.gov.uk. Paragraph 3 (right of audience) and paragraph 4 (conduct of litigation). Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Practice Guidance: McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts). Master of the Rolls and President of the Family Division. 12 July 2010. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Litigant in person. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Company guide describing self-representation and the products sold to people representing themselves. updated April 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About this site. McKenzie Friend Services (Family Legal Ltd). States it is “run by the same small team that runs Family Law Service” and that it “is a guide, not a service”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- About us. C100Form.co.uk (Family Legal Ltd). States it is “operated by Family Legal Ltd”, that “Family Law Service delivers your C100 form completion”, and that Family Legal Ltd “is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Solicitors Register: DFA Law LLP, SRA number 484839. Solicitors Regulation Authority. Licensed body since 1 April 2021, authorised for all legal services; head office 2 Waterside Way, Northampton NN4 7XD; no published decisions. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Legal advice: finances, 1 hour. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). £299 including VAT as at 6 September 2026; 20-minute telephone consultation with a family solicitor plus a written report; solicitors named as Rachel Adams and Emma Kirkland; SRA number 484839 shown. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Unregulated legal services: consumer protection law guidance. Competition and Markets Authority. updated 30 January 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Complaints we can help with. Legal Ombudsman. States “We can only help if your legal service provider is regulated”. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. Fee 5.1, application by consent for a financial order, £62; Children Act 1989 application £270; divorce application (fee 1.2) £628. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Looking after children if you divorce or separate: apply for a court order. GOV.UK. States “It costs £270 to apply for a court order” and that an applicant will usually need to show mediation has been tried. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Mediation Council. Family Mediation Council. Describes itself as “The home of regulated family mediation”; holds the register of family mediators for England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Refund policy. Family Law Service (Family Legal Ltd). Fourteen-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations; AI Barrister Review non-refundable once purchased except where the report contains significant errors; 50 per cent refund for a McKenzie Friend meeting cancelled in advance. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family Court Statistics Quarterly: January to March 2026. Ministry of Justice. Private law disposals with neither party represented 49 per cent; both parties represented 13 per cent; mean 35 weeks to disposal. 25 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Mapping unregulated legal services. Legal Services Board. Identifies thirteen broad areas of law, family law among them, in which unregulated providers operate. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Support Through Court. Support Through Court. Charity whose volunteers help people facing court without a lawyer, including completing court forms; does not give legal advice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Advocate: free legal help from volunteer barristers. Advocate. Charity operating since 1996 with about 5,000 volunteer barristers, placing cases across England and Wales. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Family: advice on separation, children and money. Citizens Advice. Free guidance on separating, arrangements for children, money and housing on separation. Accessed 5 September 2026.
- Find a solicitor. The Law Society of England and Wales. Free directory searchable by legal issue, location, language, legal aid and accredited specialism. Accessed 5 September 2026.
External links
- Practice Guidance: McKenzie Friends (2010) – the governing guidance
- GOV.UK: apply for a court order about children
- Support Through Court – free help for people facing court alone
- Family Law Service: Form C100 – company product page
- Family court fees (EX50)
This article is part of Family Law Service Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd, the company that trades as Family Law Service. It is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.