CLEAR SCOPE. CLEAR BOUNDARIES.

1. WHAT THE SERVICE IS

Don't Make It Worse provides practical crisis stabilisation, organisation, preparation and ongoing practical support. This can include organising information, preparing chronologies and questions, preparing for meetings, identifying practical priorities and helping customers work efficiently with regulated professionals.

In appropriate civil or family proceedings, support may include McKenzie Friend assistance. The customer remains the litigant in person.

2. WHAT THE SERVICE IS NOT

We are not a firm of solicitors or barristers and do not hold ourselves out as one. We do not take over reserved legal activities merely because support has been purchased. We do not automatically acquire a right to address a court, examine witnesses or conduct litigation.

We are not an emergency, medical or mental-health service. We do not interpret bail conditions or court orders as a substitute for legal advice, advise on criminal pleas or defence strategy, or help anybody evade bail conditions, court orders, police restrictions or lawful safeguarding measures.

3. CRISIS STABILISATION — £195

One 90-minute practical stabilisation session plus a Personal Stabilisation Action Plan based on information reasonably available during the session.

Purpose: identify immediate practical priorities, what should wait, what information needs preserving/organising and what appears to require professional advice. It is not a promise to resolve the underlying dispute, investigation or proceedings in 90 minutes or 48 hours.

4. 14-DAY SUPPORT — £395

Includes Crisis Stabilisation plus reasonable continuing practical support during the 14-day support period while the immediate situation develops.

This can include short follow-up communications, preparation for significant meetings or conversations, keeping information organised and adjusting priorities as circumstances change.

It provides continuity, not unlimited professional time. It does not include unlimited calls, messaging, document review, drafting, court attendance or 24-hour availability.

5. 30-DAY ACTIVE CASE SUPPORT — FROM £795

Reasonable active practical case support across 30 days for situations with several moving parts. This can include organisation and preparation, maintaining working priorities and chronology where useful, preparation around important developments and practical support in dealing with professionals.

It is not an unlimited retainer. Substantial drafting, large document exercises, extensive evidence analysis, court attendance or work materially outside the agreed scope may require a separate quotation.

6. ONGOING & COURT SUPPORT

From £100/hour or an agreed fixed fee. Scope and charging basis are agreed before substantial work starts. Court attendance, travel, waiting time and third-party costs are agreed separately where relevant.

McKenzie Friend assistance remains subject to the court's control. There is no automatic right of audience or automatic right to conduct litigation.

7. FAIR USE

For 14-day and 30-day packages, reasonable continuing support means support that can sensibly be delivered within the package price and agreed purpose.

We will not retrospectively turn ordinary package use into an extra bill. If requested work becomes substantially greater than the package reasonably covers, we stop, explain and agree any additional paid work before undertaking it.

8. CONTACT & RESPONSE — PROPOSED RULE

The service is not 24/7. Routine package communications are handled during published support hours.

Working launch standard: acknowledge ordinary customer communications within one working day and deal with genuinely time-sensitive matters as soon as reasonably practicable during support hours.

Buying a package does not guarantee immediate availability for an unplanned hearing, police appointment or meeting.

9. DOCUMENTS & EVIDENCE

Do not send large bundles, complete phone downloads or extensive evidence unless requested. Initially we ask only for information needed to understand the immediate problem.

We help preserve and organise information. We do not manufacture evidence, alter records, coach false accounts or assist with destruction/concealment of relevant material.

10. PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Where regulated legal advice or another specialist professional is needed, we may recommend obtaining it. The customer decides whether to instruct that professional and remains responsible for that professional's fees/advice.

Where a customer already has a solicitor, DMIW can complement rather than duplicate regulated legal work.

11. CANCELLATION / STARTING WITHIN 14 DAYS

Consumers purchasing remotely commonly have statutory cancellation rights. Where a customer asks us to begin supplying a service during the statutory cancellation period, the legally required express request will be obtained before work begins.

If a customer cancels after requesting an early start, the amount properly payable depends on applicable consumer law and service already supplied. Where a service has been fully performed following the required request and acknowledgement, the statutory cancellation right may be lost.

Any contractual cancellation policy operates in addition to statutory consumer rights.

12. WHEN WE MAY DECLINE OR STOP

We may decline/stop work where the request is outside our competence or lawful scope, creates a conflict, requires a regulated professional, involves abuse/threats, asks us to mislead somebody, evade restrictions, fabricate/destroy evidence, or otherwise makes continued work inappropriate.

Any refund for prepaid but unsupplied work will take account of work already properly delivered and statutory rights.

13. CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

Customers must:
- provide information accurate to the best of their knowledge;
- tell us about relevant deadlines, hearings, appointments, orders and restrictions;
- obtain legal advice where legal advice is required;
- not assume we have seen a document unless specifically provided and acknowledged;
- remain responsible for decisions, filings, compliance with orders and instructions from regulated professionals.

14. COMPLAINTS

A clear complaints route will be published before launch. Complaints should first be made directly to DMIW so they can be investigated and answered. Final terms will identify business contact details and any applicable external consumer-redress information.

15. DETAILS TO INSERT BEFORE LAUNCH

- legal/business name
- trading address
- email and telephone
- published support hours
- payment/booking providers
- final cancellation/refund mechanics
- privacy-notice link
- complaints route
- governing-law/jurisdiction wording after professional review