Pricing & Ways to Work With JSH Law
Clear support. Clear scope. Clear pricing.
Practical family-court and litigation support without an open-ended retainer.
JSH Law provides focused support to litigants in person who need help understanding the process, organising evidence, preparing documents or getting ready for court. You can instruct me for the piece of work you actually need.
You do not need to instruct somebody for your entire case.
Some clients need one hour to understand an order or identify their next steps. Others need help preparing a statement, analysing a Cafcass report, organising several years of evidence or preparing for a final hearing.
The starting point is therefore not “How much will my whole case cost?” but “What work would actually help me now?”
Core pricing
Three ways to work with JSH Law
The appropriate option depends on the task, how much material needs reviewing and whether court attendance is required.
Focused Hourly Support
For defined pieces of litigation support and non-reserved legal work.
Typical work may include:
- reviewing a court order and explaining next steps;
- evidence and document analysis;
- legal and procedural research;
- chronology preparation;
- drafting assistance;
- case analysis and issue spotting;
- preparation calls;
- family-court correspondence; and
- reviewing documents before a hearing.
Hourly work is normally recorded in 6-minute units.
Fixed-Fee Support
Best where the task can be defined clearly in advance.
Fixed-fee work may include:
- position statements;
- witness-statement preparation;
- chronologies and schedules;
- Cafcass or section 7 report review;
- C100 or C2 preparation;
- non-molestation or occupation-order preparation;
- hearing-preparation packages;
- appeal paperwork;
- bundle or evidence organisation; and
- other defined document work.
complexity, urgency, document volume and the amount of background material that needs reviewing.
McKenzie Friend Court Support
For agreed McKenzie Friend attendance at court.
Support may include:
- pre-hearing preparation;
- help organising papers;
- moral support at court;
- taking detailed notes;
- quiet advice during the hearing;
- help following what is happening; and
- post-hearing clarification of next steps.
Travel, waiting time, preparation and reserved hearing time may also be chargeable where agreed.
How pricing works
Agree the task first. Then agree the cost.
Before substantial paid work starts, you will normally receive a clear description of what JSH Law has agreed to do and how it will be charged.
Most work is paid in advance. For hourly work, this may mean funding an agreed block of time. For fixed-fee work, the agreed fee applies to the scope described in the quote or Task Confirmation.
If the scope changes materially — for example because significantly more documents arrive, a new court order changes the task, or you ask for additional work — I will normally explain the position before substantial extra work is carried out.
Any applicable VAT or other legally required charge will be shown on the relevant invoice.
What clients ask me to help with
Common instructions
Statements & Position Statements
Helping structure the relevant facts, evidence, welfare concerns and orders sought into a document the court can follow.
Evidence & Chronologies
Turning large volumes of messages, emails, reports and events into an organised chronology or evidential structure.
Cafcass & Section 7 Reports
Reviewing the report against the evidence and identifying factual disputes, omissions, safeguarding issues and points requiring response.
Hearing Preparation
Identifying the issues, orders, key evidence, practical objectives and material needed for the hearing.
Applications & Procedural Work
Practical support with C100, C2, protective applications and other agreed family-court paperwork.
Bundles & Large Case Files
Organising difficult case material so that the important documents and evidence can actually be found and used.
Why quotes vary
The document volume matters
Two clients may ask for exactly the same type of document but require very different amounts of work.
A position statement based on one recent order and a small set of documents is a very different task from preparing one after reviewing several years of proceedings, multiple statements, hundreds of messages and several professional reports.
That is why substantial fixed-fee work is usually quoted after I understand what material actually needs to be reviewed.
Urgent work
If you have a court deadline, tell me immediately
Urgent work can sometimes be accommodated, but it depends on capacity and the amount of work involved.
Sending a document, copying JSH Law into correspondence or telling me about a hearing does not by itself mean that I have accepted responsibility for that deadline.
The deadline remains yours unless JSH Law has expressly agreed in writing to undertake a particular task by reference to it.
Court attendance
What McKenzie Friend support means in practice
Ordinary McKenzie Friend assistance may include moral support, taking notes, helping with papers and quietly giving advice while you conduct your own case.
JSH Law does not go on the court record as your solicitor, does not conduct the litigation on your behalf and has no automatic right of audience.
If you want JSH Law to address the court, question a witness or undertake another activity requiring a right of audience, that would need to be discussed in advance and is ultimately a matter for the court.
Changes of plan
Cancellations and adjourned hearings
Ordinary appointments can normally be changed or cancelled in accordance with the terms confirmed when they are booked.
Court hearings and urgent work may involve significant preparation or reserved time. If a hearing is adjourned, vacated or cancelled, any charge will depend on work already completed, time reserved, travel incurred and the terms agreed for that instruction.
Full cancellation and consumer rights are explained in the Terms of Service and the JSH Law Client Agreement and Terms of Business.
Questions about fees
Pricing FAQs
Do I have to pay a monthly retainer?
No. JSH Law can work on an individual task or an agreed block of time. You do not need to purchase full representation for your whole case.
Do I usually pay in advance?
Yes. The task and amount will normally be agreed before work begins.
Can you tell me exactly what my whole case will cost?
Usually not, because JSH Law does not automatically take responsibility for an entire case. The cost depends on which pieces of work you ask me to undertake.
What happens if the task becomes larger than expected?
If the scope changes materially, I will normally tell you before carrying out substantial additional work so that any additional cost can be agreed.
Can I book just one hour?
Yes. A focused hour can be useful for reviewing an order, identifying next steps, discussing a Cafcass report or working out what support would be most useful.
Clear boundaries
Know exactly what service you are buying
JSH Law Ltd provides non-reserved legal services, litigation support and McKenzie Friend assistance.
JSH Law Ltd is not an SRA-authorised solicitors' firm and does not provide regulated solicitor representation or conduct litigation on your behalf.
If you are a litigant in person, you remain responsible for your proceedings, including filing and serving documents, complying with orders and deadlines, checking factual accuracy and deciding what material to place before the court, unless a particular lawful task has expressly been agreed.
If your circumstances require reserved legal activity, regulated representation or specialist assistance outside JSH Law's scope, I will say so.
Not sure which option you need?
Start with a short conversation
You do not need to work out whether you need hourly support, a fixed-fee task or court attendance before contacting JSH Law. Tell me where the case has reached and what you are struggling with, and we can identify the sensible next step.
A clear first step
Book a 15-Minute Consultation
If you are facing family court, dealing with a Cafcass or safeguarding concern, responding to an application, or preparing for a hearing, you do not have to work out everything alone before asking for support.
Use this short consultation to explain where you are in the process, identify what is most urgent and discuss whether practical JSH Law support may be appropriate.
Please note: JSH Law provides non-reserved legal services, litigation support and McKenzie Friend assistance. It is not an SRA-authorised solicitors’ firm and does not provide regulated solicitor representation or conduct litigation on your behalf. Please do not send extensive evidence or documents before your appointment unless asked to do so.
Request your consultation
Choose a convenient time and provide a brief outline of what you need help with.
Your enquiry will be handled in accordance with the JSH Law Privacy Policy .
Ready to get organised?
Start with the part of the case that needs attention now.
You do not need to hand over your entire case. JSH Law can help with a defined problem, document, hearing or evidence task while you remain in control of your proceedings.
Before instructing JSH Law, please read our Terms of Service , Privacy Policy , Complaints Procedure and Safeguarding Statement .
Paid work is governed by the applicable JSH Law Client Agreement and Terms of Business and any matter-specific Task Confirmation.