Practical support for people representing themselves in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
Family Court is difficult enough with a lawyer. Representing yourself is harder. The McKenzie Friend helps self-represented people get organised, understand the process, prepare documents, manage evidence, and approach hearings with greater clarity.
The McKenzie Friend
Start with the first practical step
Most people do not enter the FCFCOA with a clear plan. They receive solicitor letters, deadlines, requests for documents, court forms, and threats of applications before they properly understand the process.
The McKenzie Friend helps you get organised before the process controls you.
Step 1 — Court Portal & Filing Readiness
This first step helps you understand the practical starting point.
We assist with:
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setting up or understanding access to the Commonwealth Courts Portal
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identifying what documents you already have
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creating a basic chronology of key events
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organising emails, orders, letters, financial records, and evidence
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understanding the difference between an application, response, affidavit, annexures, and orders sought
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preparing a filing checklist
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getting ready for the next procedural step
We do not tell you what legal orders to seek or whether you should commence proceedings. We help you get organised so you can make clearer decisions and avoid being overwhelmed by process.
How It Works
1. Get Organised
We help sort your documents, emails, dates, court orders, solicitor letters, financial records, and key events into a usable structure.
2. Build the Timeline
A clear chronology helps separate facts from emotion and shows what happened, when it happened, and why it matters.
3. Prepare the Material
We assist with document structure, clarity, formatting, annexures, attachments, and practical filing readiness.
4. Prepare for the Next Step
We help you understand what needs to be done next so you can approach the process with greater control and less confusion.
What we do
We provide practical support with:
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organising documents and evidence
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preparing chronologies
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understanding court process and filing steps
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structuring affidavits and attachments
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preparing hearing notes and issue lists
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tracking orders, deadlines, and next steps
What we don’t do
We do not provide legal advice.
We do not act as your lawyer.
We do not tell you what orders to seek.
We do not appear in court as your advocate.
We help you become organised, prepared, and clearer about the process.
Our Mission
The McKenzie Friend provides practical support for self-represented people in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Our focus is structure, preparation, documents, evidence, timelines, and procedure.
We help people reduce confusion, organise their material, and approach each step with greater clarity and control.
We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or court advocacy.
