Family Law Paralegal / McKenzie Friend (South-East)
Important: You must be based in or around London. We can only consider applicants within reach of our South-East court patch (London and courts within roughly 90 minutes: Oxford, Luton, Colchester, Cambridge, Canterbury, Guildford, Portsmouth, Swindon, Reading, Southampton and Eastbourne). Applications from outside this area cannot be considered.
About Us
Family Law Decisions is an established McKenzie Friend and paralegal service operating across England and Wales. We support private individuals through family court proceedings, primarily children matters, injunctions, and financial remedy cases.
The Opportunity
Over the years we have worked with people from all sorts of backgrounds, many with no prior courtroom experience, who have become effective, confident McKenzie Friends within weeks. We are not looking for a finished product. We are looking for someone intelligent, committed, and coachable, who wants real courtroom experience relatively quickly.
We are looking to take on up to two people to cover family courts across London and the wider South-East. You will handle inbound enquiries throughout England and Wales, convert them to bookings, and attend hearings as a McKenzie Friend. There is no base salary. What there is, is a direct relationship between what you produce and what you earn, with no ceiling on it.
You will not be a number here. You will have direct access to the senior team and close support from experienced McKenzie Friends from day one. If you have a genuine interest in family law and the attitude to learn fast and work hard, we will give you the training, the support, and the cases to build something real.
The Role
You will handle inbound enquiries from prospective clients by phone and WhatsApp, advise them on their options, quote fees, and convert to bookings. When not on the phone, you will be attending in-person and remote family court hearings assisting as a McKenzie Friend, on average 2 to 3 days a week, and providing support in drafting court documents such as applications and statements for clients.
We are looking for someone based in or around London, from where you can reach our court patch. You will travel regularly to family courts in London and, within roughly 90 minutes, to Oxford, Luton, Colchester, Cambridge, Canterbury, Guildford, Portsmouth, Swindon, Reading, Southampton and Eastbourne. You will manage your own diary and caseload and invoice weekly.
How You Are Paid
- Sales commission at 20%
- In the early months, where an enquiry falls outside your current knowledge or experience, you pass it to the senior team with the basic groundwork done and receive your full 20% commission on any case that converts
- Court attendance: £125 per half day, £200 per full day
- All travel costs reimbursed in full
- Invoices paid weekly
- OTE £25,000 to £39,000 depending on hearing volume and conversion performance
What We Are Looking For
- A genuine interest in private family law and in helping people through difficult situations
- Willingness to learn Child Arrangements Orders, Non-Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders, and Financial Remedy proceedings, and to assist draft court applications and statements
- Clear, accurate written English regarding applications and witness statements
- Confident, warm, and clear on the phone. You are often the first person a client speaks to at one of the most difficult times of their life
- Self-motivated and able to manage your own time and caseload independently
- Based in or around London and willing to travel regularly to courts in London and across the South-East
A legal background, whether a law degree, CILEX, paralegal experience, or similar, is required. Attitude, intelligence, and commitment matter more than a CV.
Before You Apply
Family Law Decisions are not solicitors, and this role is not a solicitor training contract. We cannot support applications for qualification through this position.
This role is wholly self-employed with no base salary. Your income is commission and hearing fees. We are transparent about this because it matters. You will need to be set up to invoice us as a self-employed contractor. You can work as a sole trader or through your own limited company, whichever you prefer. The screening questions below are not optional. Applications without an answer will not be considered.
Benefits
- Flexitime
- Free or subsidised travel
- Work from home, except when attending court hearings
Job Type: Freelance
Job Type: Freelance
Pay: £25,000.00-£39,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexitime
- Free or subsidised travel
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- Application Question: Are you comfortable in a wholly self-employed role with no base salary, earning commission on sales and fixed fees for court attendance, with all travel costs reimbursed?
- Are you willing to attend court on average 2 to 3 days a week in London or at courts within roughly 90 minutes such as Oxford, Luton, Colchester, Cambridge, Canterbury, Guildford, Portsmouth, Swindon, Reading, Southampton or Eastbourne?
Work Location: Remote
