Form C100: Child Arrangements Application (2026 Guide)

Form C100: Child Arrangements Application (2026 Guide)

If you are a parent, guardian, or person with parental responsibility seeking a court order about where a child lives, how much time they spend with each parent, or other contact arrangements, Form C100 is the document you must file with the Family Court. This guide explains every stage of the process, from the mandatory pre-application step through to the first hearing and beyond. This article covers private law proceedings under the Children Act 1989. It does not cover care proceedings brought by local authorities.

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When Do You Need Form C100?

You need to complete Form C100 when you wish to apply to the Family Court for a Child Arrangements Order (previously called a residence or contact order), a Prohibited Steps Order (preventing a specific action, such as removal of a child from the jurisdiction), or a Specific Issue Order (resolving a particular dispute, such as choice of school or medical treatment). You do not need a C100 if you already have a court order and simply need to enforce it — enforcement has its own separate route. You also do not use this form if the local authority has started care or supervision proceedings; those are public law proceedings under a different framework. Common situations that lead to a C100 application include:

• A breakdown in contact arrangements after separation or divorce
• One parent wishing to relocate with a child, domestically or internationally
• Disagreement about schooling, religious upbringing, or medical decisions
• Concern that a child is being withheld from the other parent without justification
• Grandparents or other family members seeking to maintain a relationship with a child

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What Is Form C100 Used For?

Form C100 is the formal application document that opens a private law children case in the Family Court. Once filed, it triggers the standard safeguarding pathway, which includes checks with the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) and, where necessary, further investigation. The completed form tells the court who the applicant is, who the respondent is, details about the child or children concerned, the nature of the order sought, and whether any safeguarding concerns exist. It is the foundation of the entire case file.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Form C100

Step 1 — Attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM)

Before you can file a C100, you are required by law to attend a MIAM unless one of the statutory exemptions applies. A MIAM is a meeting with an authorised family mediator who explains what mediation is and assesses whether your dispute is suitable for it. Attendance at a MIAM does not commit you to mediation. The mediator will sign Section 1 of the C100 to confirm you attended, or confirm that you are exempt. Without this signature (or a valid exemption), the court will not issue your application. MIAM exemptions include situations involving domestic abuse (where there is evidence such as a police report, conviction, injunction, or similar), child protection concerns, urgency (where a child’s safety is at immediate risk), and certain other prescribed circumstances. The MIAM requirement itself is statutory — section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014 — and the full list of exemptions is set out in Rule 3.8 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, which opens “the MIAM requirement does not apply if…”. Two of those exemptions are worth knowing precisely, because they are the ones most often claimed and most often challenged: the domestic abuse exemption turns on “evidence of domestic abuse, as specified in Practice Direction 3A” — so it is PD3A, not the rule, that lists what counts as evidence — and the child protection exemption applies where a child who would be the subject of the application, or another child of the family living with them, is currently the subject of local authority enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 or on a child protection plan. A MIAM can only be conducted by an authorised family mediator, meaning a person the Family Mediation Council identifies as qualified to conduct one. If you believe you are exempt, you must tick the relevant exemption box in Section 1 and be prepared to provide supporting evidence. Courts scrutinise exemptions, and incorrectly claimed exemptions can delay your application.

Step 2 — Gather the Information You Need

Before you begin completing the form, collect the following:

• Full names, dates of birth, and addresses for all children named in the application
• Full names and addresses for all respondents
• Details of any existing court orders relating to the children
• Details of any previous court proceedings (including care proceedings)
• The contact details of anyone else who has parental responsibility
• Information about any welfare or safeguarding concerns you need to raise

Step 3 — Complete Section 1 (MIAM)

Tick the appropriate box: either that you have attended a MIAM (and attach the mediator’s certificate) or that you are exempt (and select the correct exemption category with supporting evidence).

Step 4 — Complete Section 2 (The Orders Applied For)

State clearly which order or orders you are seeking. Be specific: if you want the child to live with you for the majority of the time with defined contact to the other parent, say so. Vague requests such as “more contact” are not sufficient. The court needs to know exactly what you are asking for so that the respondent can respond and the Cafcass officer can understand the issue.

Step 5 — Complete Section 3 (Respondents and Other Parties)

List every respondent — typically the other parent — along with their full name, date of birth, and address. If there are other persons who should be notified (for example, a grandparent who already has a court order), include them here or in Section 5.

Step 6 — Complete Section 4 (Children)

Provide the full name, date of birth, gender, and current living arrangements for each child. Confirm who holds parental responsibility for each child.

Step 7 — Complete Section 5 (Social Services)

Disclose any past or current involvement with children’s services. This includes any section 47 enquiries, child protection plans, or care proceedings. Failure to disclose this information is a serious matter that can undermine your credibility with the court.

Step 8 — Complete Section 6 (Alleged Harm — C1A Trigger)

This is one of the most important sections. You must declare whether you are making any allegations of harm, domestic abuse, or other safeguarding concerns. If the answer is yes, you must complete and attach Form C1A. Do not omit this. The C1A is discussed in full in a separate guide on this site.

Step 9 — Sign and Date

The declaration at the end of the form confirms that the information you have provided is true. Signing a false statement is contempt of court. Read it carefully before signing.

Step 10 — File at the Family Court

Apply online if you can: GOV.UK says applying online avoids delay. If you cannot apply online, send the paper C100 (with any C1A) to the family court, and if you send it by post you must provide 3 copies of each document. The court will issue the application and serve the respondent. Keeping your address private. Do not write an address you want kept private on the C100 or the C1A. Put it on Form C8 (confidential contact details) instead; GOV.UK says details on a C8 are used only by the court and Cafcass or Cafcass Cymru, and are not given to anyone else except by order of the court. The fee. A new application under the Children Act 1989 — a child arrangements order, prohibited steps order or specific issue order — carries a court fee of £270 under the EX50 family court fees schedule in force from 13 July 2026, which sets the same figure for an application to enforce a child arrangements order. If that is out of reach, Help with Fees can remove or reduce it. It is applied for online and usually takes about a minute, and you can apply either before you pay or afterwards — a refund can be claimed within three months of paying if you qualified at the time. ⛔ Do not let the fee stop you filing something time-sensitive. You do not have to do this alone, and not all help costs money. Support Through Court has volunteers in many court buildings who sit with litigants in person, help with paperwork and attend hearings alongside you; Citizens Advice and a law centre are free; and legal aid remains available for domestic abuse cases.

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Key Deadlines and Timings

• First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA): The court will typically list the first hearing within four to six weeks of the application being issued.
• Cafcass safeguarding letter: Cafcass (or Cafcass Cymru) reports to the court in a safeguarding letter within 17 working days of receiving the application (20 working days in Wales), and at least 3 working days before the first hearing (PD 12B paras 13.7 and 22.3). This letter sets out the results of police and local authority checks.
• Position statements: Both parties are usually expected to file a brief position statement before the FHDRA. Check the order made at issue for specific directions.
• If you are the respondent: send the acknowledgement Form C7 and, where it applies, Form C1A to the court within 14 days after receiving the application, unless the court has set a shorter time (PD 12B para 8.11).

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What the Court Is Actually Deciding

Every section of the form feeds one question, and it is worth knowing what that question is before you write a word. Under section 1 of the Children Act 1989 the child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration — not the fairness of the split between the parents, and not who has behaved better. Three further rules sit alongside it:

• Delay is treated as harmful. Section 1(2) directs the court to have regard to the general principle that delay in determining the question is likely to prejudice the child’s welfare.
• There is a presumption of parental involvement. Section 1(2A) requires the court to presume, unless the contrary is shown, that a parent’s involvement in the child’s life will further their welfare — and section 1(2B) defines “involvement” as involvement of some kind, direct or indirect, “but not any particular division of a child’s time”. It is not a presumption of equal time, and applications framed as though it were tend to founder.
• The court will make no order unless an order helps. Section 1(5) prevents the court making an order at all unless doing so would be better for the child than making no order.

Where a section 8 application is opposed, section 1(3) requires the court to have regard in particular to the welfare checklist: the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child concerned, considered in the light of their age and understanding; their physical, emotional and educational needs; the likely effect of any change in circumstances; their age, sex, background and any relevant characteristics; any harm suffered or at risk of being suffered; how capable each parent, and anyone else the court thinks relevant, is of meeting the child’s needs; and the range of powers available to the court. ⭐ That list is the most useful thing on this page for anyone drafting. A C100 that answers the checklist — concretely, child by child, without arguing about the other parent — is doing the work the court is about to do anyway.

What Happens After You File?

Once the court issues your application:

1. The court serves the application on the respondent (or you serve it, depending on the court’s direction).
2. Cafcass contacts both parties to conduct safeguarding checks and may telephone one or both parents before the FHDRA.
3. At the FHDRA, the judge will consider whether the case can be resolved that day, whether further investigation (such as a Cafcass section 7 report) is needed, and what interim arrangements should be in place.
4. If the case is not resolved at the FHDRA, it will be listed for a further hearing — a Dispute Resolution Appointment (DRA) or, if contested, a Final Hearing.

The child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration throughout.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Failing to attend a MIAM without a valid exemption. The court will reject the application or adjourn the hearing until this is rectified.
2. Claiming a MIAM exemption you cannot evidence. Ticking “domestic abuse” without supporting evidence will attract judicial scrutiny and may damage your credibility.
3. Leaving Section 6 blank when you have safeguarding concerns. Omitting known concerns at this stage can be treated as deliberate non-disclosure.
4. Being vague about the order sought. Courts cannot make an order in uncertain terms. State specifically what you want — days, times, holidays, handover arrangements.
5. Failing to disclose previous proceedings. The court has access to court records. Non-disclosure is almost always discovered and damages your case. Many applicants on low incomes qualify for a full or partial fee waiver. Check eligibility before paying the full fee.
6. Serving the respondent incorrectly. If the court directs you to serve, you must serve correctly and file a certificate of service. Errors here can cause significant delays.

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The Rules That Apply

Form C100 applications are governed primarily by:

• Children Act 1989 — section 8 defines the three orders you can ask for, and section 1 sets the welfare principle and the checklist the court applies
• Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 3 — the MIAM requirement and its exemptions, at rules 3.5 to 3.10
• Practice Direction 12B — the Child Arrangements Programme, which sets out the standard pathway and timescales
• Practice Direction 3A — what counts as evidence of domestic abuse for a MIAM exemption

A significant proportion of applicants in private law children cases are litigants in person. You have the same right to be heard as a legally represented party. The court must treat you fairly. Having support with your documents — even if not legal representation — can make a substantial difference to how clearly your case is presented. Q: What is the difference between a Child Arrangements Order and a contact order?
A: “Contact order” is the old terminology used before the Children and Families Act 2014. The new framework uses “Child Arrangements Order,” which can specify both where a child lives (“lives with”) and the time they spend with each parent (“spends time with”). The change was intended to reduce adversarial framing, though in practice the two types of arrangement within a single order can still feel like a win/lose situation to parents. The legal test — the child’s welfare as the paramount consideration — remains the same. Q: What does Cafcass actually do after my C100 is filed?
A: Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) carries out initial safeguarding checks, which include checks with the police and local authority. A Cafcass practitioner will attempt to speak with both parents before the first hearing and will prepare a safeguarding letter for the court. If the judge orders a full welfare report (a section 7 report), Cafcass will conduct a more thorough investigation including interviews with the children and home visits. Q: Can the court make an order without my attendance?
A: If you are the respondent and you fail to attend a hearing without good reason, the court can proceed in your absence and make an order. If you are the applicant and you fail to attend, the court may dismiss your application. Always attend, or apply to adjourn in advance if there is a genuine reason you cannot be present. Q: How long do child arrangements cases take?
A: Straightforward cases that settle at or shortly after the FHDRA can conclude in two to three months. Contested cases proceeding to a Final Hearing typically take six to twelve months from issue, and complex cases involving findings of fact hearings or external expert evidence can take longer. The Child Arrangements Programme sets target timescales, but court capacity affects actual listing dates.

Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form C1A: Allegations of Harm — the supplement you file with the C100 if you have safeguarding concerns.
• Form C2 — applications within existing children proceedings, including for permission.
• Form FL401 — applying for a non-molestation or occupation order.
• Form C79 — enforcing a child arrangements order.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Form C100 used for?

Form C100 is the formal application that opens a private law children case in the Family Court. It is used to apply for a Child Arrangements Order (where a child lives and how much time they spend with each parent), a Prohibited Steps Order (preventing a specific action, such as removing a child from the jurisdiction), or a Specific Issue Order (resolving a particular dispute, such as choice of school or medical treatment).

What is Form C100?

Form C100 is the application that opens a private law children case in the Family Court under the Children Act 1989. This guide explains what it covers and how to complete it, section by section.

Where can I download Form C100?

The blank Form C100 is published free on GOV.UK, and that is the copy you should use. Always take the current version from the official page rather than a saved one, because forms are updated from time to time. This guide walks through completing it once you have it.

Do I have to attend a MIAM before filing?

In most cases, yes. The law requires you to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) before filing a C100 unless a statutory exemption applies. The mediator signs Section 1 to confirm you attended, or confirms you are exempt. Without that signature or a valid exemption, the court will not issue your application. Exemptions include certain domestic abuse, child protection, and urgency situations, with supporting evidence required.

When do I NOT need a C100?

You do not need a C100 if you already have a court order and simply want to enforce it — enforcement has its own separate route. You also do not use a C100 where a local authority has started care or supervision proceedings, as those are public law proceedings under a different framework.

What is the C1A and when must I attach it?

Section 6 of the C100 asks whether you are making any allegations of harm, domestic abuse, or other safeguarding concerns. If the answer is yes, you must complete and attach Form C1A. This is one of the most important parts of the application and should not be omitted.

What happens after I file?

Once the court issues your application, it is served on the respondent (or you serve it, depending on the court’s direction). Cafcass contacts both parties to conduct safeguarding checks ahead of the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA), where the judge considers whether the case can be resolved, whether a further Cafcass report is needed, and what interim arrangements should apply. Check the directions made at issue for specific timings.

What if I’m the respondent?

If you have been named as a respondent, you have the right to file a response. The court will set a deadline, typically before the first hearing — check the order made at issue for the exact date and directions in your case.

Related guides: Form C1A (allegations of harm) · Form C2 (apply within existing proceedings) · All civil court forms