Dear Speagun
Have to say that I share George Lombard's scepticism about why anyone would put his-her personal neck on the line for the sake of a total stranger. For å£2,000, I wouldn't do it, because I would not be able to stop the stranger from strolling off into the sunset and defaulting on his obligations to me.
However, Hourigans claim that they can organise it, so in your shoes I would ask them and the others about it, because you could lose nothing by doing so.
A firm of solicitors called Hawthorns are said to have devised a suitable form of Agreement. It should not be beyond the wit of any of them to draft something suitable. I think it might cost less to use one who has done it before, though.
For what it is worth (ie zilch) I suspect that the idea of the Family Friend is a long-shot which is unlikely to work and could bust a friendship. People say plenty of things over a glbutt of wine, in the best possible faith and sincerity. At that stage, they don't realise just how hairy the obligations would be for themselves. Once the hairiness gets spelt out, cold feet tend to set in, potentially upsetting everyone concerned, to the potential detriment of the original friendship. For this reason, I would be wary of this route.
Mr Lombard might well be right. The claims made could be nothing more than hot air and-or the REAL price could be a heck of a lot higher than the website suggests. However, asking is free so you might as well do so, it seems to me!
In your shoes, I would reseach this thing fully. If it doesn't stack up, the only thing you will have wasted is time. Since you are between a rock and a hard place anyway, if it were me, I would take a chance on the time. But that is merely my own personal opinion. The very best judge of your own situation is you, so please don't abandon your faith iin yourself.
With the very best of luck
Gollywobbler
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