Maria Lopez LLB (Hons)
Lawyer - McKenzie Friend
​Director of Court Support and Legal Services Ltd
Member of Resolution | ICO Registered
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Professional Summary
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Maria Lopez is the Director of Court Support and Legal Services Ltd and works as a Lawyer & McKenzie Friend, providing legal assistance to Litigants in Person in Family and Civil Court matters throughout England and Wales. Her experience spans both private and public law, enabling clients to navigate proceedings with structure, clarity and confidence.
Maria supports clients from pre-issue negotiation to final hearing preparation, offering drafting expertise, document organisation and procedural guidance at every stage. Her work is grounded in careful legal analysis, persuasive drafting, and a calm, methodical approach to dispute resolution.
Maria is not a Solicitor or Barrister and does not undertake reserved legal activities. She assists clients to present their own case and supports them through the process in accordance with McKenzie Friend practice guidance.
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Court Support and Legal Services (UK)
CEO / Lawyer & McKenzie Friend
​2020 – Present
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Maria founded Court Support and Legal Services Ltd in 2020 and has since assisted clients across a wide range of legal matters, focusing on children, family breakdown, public law involvement, financial remedy and protective injunctions. Her work also extends to Court of Protection, wills, civil disputes, and contested litigation preparation.
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Key Case Experience
Private Law Children Matters
• Child Arrangements Orders — Shared Care, Live-With, Contact
• Specific Issue Orders (education, medical, relocation, passports)
• Prohibited Steps Orders
• Parental Responsibility & Step-Parent Parental Responsibility Orders
• Special Guardianship Orders (making & discharge)
• Adoption (non-contested)
• Discharge of Guardianship
• Permission to Apply / Joinder as a Party
• Disclosure of Whereabouts & Mirror Orders
• Drafting Consent Orders
Enforcement & Variation
• Enforcement of Child Arrangements & Financial Orders
• Breach of Enforcement Orders
• Variation & Discharge of existing Orders
• Orders within ongoing proceedings
• Recovery & Location Orders
Public Law / Local Authority Proceedings
• Care Proceedings (s.31 Children Act)
• Child Protection, CIN & Core Group Meetings
• Contact with Looked-After Children (LAC)
• Discharge of Care Orders
• Analysis & response to Local Authority threshold documents
Financial & Relationship Matters
• Financial Remedy Proceedings
• Pension Sharing Applications
• Separation Agreements
• Drafting Consent Orders
Court of Protection & Wills
• Statutory Will Applications before the Court of Protection
• Will preparation assistance & capacity-related documentation
• Mental capacity & vulnerability-linked support
Injunctions & Protective Orders
• Non-Molestation Orders
• Occupation Orders
• Contempt of Court & Order enforcement
• Risk-based evidence testing, safeguarding chronology & bundle preparation
Civil Litigation & General Disputes
• Civil litigation support and case preparation
• Landlord & Tenant disputes
• Contractual and commercial disagreements
• Debt recovery and enforcement
• Intellectual Property disputes
• Motoring law & insurance-related issues
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Legal Skills & Strengths
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• Advanced legal drafting & written submissions
• Case theory, evidence analysis & argument structure
• Cross-examination framework drafting
• PD27A-compliant bundle preparation
• Negotiation & early-resolution strategy
• High-conflict & safeguarding-sensitive case handling
• Fluent in English & Portuguese
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Education
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LLB (Hons), Staffordshire University — 2017
LLB (Hons), UNINASSAU — 2007
Professional Memberships
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Professional Status Clarification
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Maria Lopez is a Lawyer - McKenzie Friend.
She is not a Solicitor or Barrister and not regulated by the SRA or BSB.
All support is provided to litigants in person and does not constitute reserved legal representation.
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