He charges fixed fees for help with child contact and child support
Mark Grayson, senior partner at “family law specialists” Grayson’s Legal, is a convicted paedophile on the sex offender register.
Grayson, under the name Mark Jales, was part of a paedophile ring that targeted young boys in Sydenham, London, during the 1970s and 80s. He was convicted in 2014 on one count of indecent assault against a young boy. A report from the time said:
Churchgoer Jales — described by the boy as a ‘hanger-on’ — had laid out pornography on the bed before undressing the youngster and abusing him. ‘It was furtive and it was squalid,’ recalled the complainant.
He was sentenced to one year in prison by Croydon Crown Court and placed on the register for ten years — facts we have had confirmed by the court itself. Jales then changed his name because, he told Legal Cheek, of the “bad publicity” associated with his conviction.
After serving six months for a crime he still maintains he did not commit, Grayson is now the founder and senior partner of “McKenzie Friends & Paralegals” service Grayson’s Legal. For those unfamiliar with the term McKenzie friend, it is essentially a non-qualified member of the public who assists litigants in person.
Though Grayson’s website does mention criminal law, civil law and landlord and tenant disputes, his main focus appears to be family law, including: child contact, child support and CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) matters.
54-year-old Grayson — who, interestingly, describes himself as a “Lord” on his personal Facebook page — told Legal Cheek:
As I’m sure you know, family law is a very broad subject. I do child cases but I also do civil law, land law, financial agreements, etc. I do not have, and have never had, any contact with children.
Grayson stressed to us on several occasions that he does not have contact with children in these cases. He says that he represents the parents, more often than not fathers.
Litigants keen to use Grayson’s services can pay a fixed fee to do so. The website states child contact cases cost £300, with attendance at court costing £450 per day. There is a “timed billing” option too, which is £100 per hour.
McKenzie friends are a regulatory grey area. Because they do not engage in reserved legal activity and do not purport to be solicitors, they do not fall under the remit of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Legal professionals appear to be live to the problems this presents. Court of Appeal judge Lady Justice Hallett notably expressed concern about the use of McKenzie friends after hearing a number of unsuccessful criminal appeal cases which received support from law students.
Regulatory issues aside — when asked about the moral dubiety of a convicted paedophile setting up a family law service, Grayson said: “I have served six months for a crime I didn’t commit. I set up this service all above board, and I want to get on with my life. I’ll be on the sex offender register until I’m 61. I think I’m being punished enough for something I didn’t do — don’t you?”
Grayson will be moving to Spain in four weeks time and will no longer be working for the firm. He doesn’t believe anyone will take over its running because: “I have nothing to sell. The press have buggered up my reputation”. Legal Cheek has approached the police and the probation service for comment.
While we had him on the phone, we took the opportunity to ask Grayson about his Lord title. To this, he said:
That’s immaterial. Under British law, I’m entitled to call myself whatever I want.
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