Can a McKenzie Friend Write My Witness Statement?
Written by Dave Barma, Professional McKenzie Friend.
Last updated on 15.10.2026.
This is general information, not legal advice.
If you are representing yourself in family court and dreading writing your witness statement, you may wonder whether a McKenzie Friend can do it for you. The short answer is that a McKenzie Friend can help you prepare it, but it must still be your evidence. Here is what that means.
What is a McKenzie Friend?
A McKenzie Friend is a person who supports someone who is representing themselves in court. Some are family or friends. Others are professional McKenzie Friends who charge a fee. The person they support remains a litigant in person.
What the official guidance says they can do
The Practice Guidance on McKenzie Friends, issued in 2010 by the Master of the Rolls and the President of the Family Division, says a McKenzie Friend may help with case papers and may quietly give advice on aspects of the conduct of the case. They may not address the court, make oral submissions or examine witnesses. They also have no right to conduct the litigation unless the court gives permission, and the guidance says courts should be slow to grant that. The guidance also confirms that you can lawfully agree to pay a McKenzie Friend a fee.
So, can they write my witness statement?
A McKenzie Friend can help you organise your account and put it into the right form. But the court requires a witness statement to contain your own evidence, in the first person and in your own words. The President's Memorandum on witness statements (November 2021) also says anyone helping to prepare a statement must not try to alter or influence your recollection.
In practice, a good McKenzie Friend will:
• Ask you what happened and set out your account clearly
• Keep it factual and focused
• Help you structure it so the judge can follow it
They will not make things up, change your account or tell you what to remember. You are the one who must check the statement and sign it, so read it carefully and make sure every word is true.
How our service works
Our fixed-fee statement drafting service is run by professional McKenzie Friends Dave Barma and Gemma Bailey.
You complete an online questionnaire and we turn your answers into a draft witness statement or position statement, delivered as an editable Word document within 2 working days.
The fee is £99.99.
The service does not include telephone or video calls, general advice or support with your case, amendments after you submit the questionnaire, or any guarantee of outcome.
We are not solicitors and this is not legal advice. Our full terms are on the service page.
See what is included and get started:
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