A McKenzie friend is a person, not necessarily legally trained or professionally qualified, who assists someone representing themselves in court by prompting them, taking notes, and quietly offering advice during proceedings. McKenzie friends are commonly used in family courts by people who cannot afford legal representation, helping litigants understand court procedure, organize documents, and feel supported during hearings, though they cannot substitute for a qualified lawyer and generally lack the right to address the court or to conduct litigation on the litigant's behalf unless a court specifically grants it. The role takes its name from the 1970 English court case McKenzie v McKenzie, which established that a litigant representing themselves has the right to receive this kind of assistance. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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Source McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
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McKenzie friend (Wikipedia)
Lead sectionQuote, Lead section
A McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a court of law in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand, by prompting, taking notes, and quietly giving advice.
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