Form C1A: Allegations of Harm Supplement to C100 (2026 Guide)

When Do You Need to File Form C1A?

You must file Form C1A with your C100 application (or response) if you are making any allegation relating to:

• Domestic abuse — including physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or coercive and controlling behaviour — whether directed at you, at the other parent, or at the child
• Physical abuse of a child — including excessive physical chastisement
• Sexual abuse of a child
• Emotional abuse of a child
• Neglect of a child
• Fabricated or induced illness (previously called Munchausen syndrome by proxy)
• Parental substance misuse or alcohol misuse that places a child at risk
• Parental mental health issues that have impacted or may impact the child’s welfare
• Any other safeguarding risk you believe the court should be aware of

The threshold for filing a C1A is low by design. If you have a genuine concern — even if you are unsure whether it meets a legal standard — you should include it. Omitting a known concern at this stage and raising it later in proceedings can be treated as tactical rather than genuine, and this damages your credibility with the judge.

If you are the respondent to a C100 application, you may also file a C1A as part of your response if you have counter-allegations or your own safeguarding concerns. The right to file a C1A is not limited to applicants.

What Is Form C1A Used For?

Form C1A serves several interconnected purposes within the proceedings:

1. Triggering the Practice Direction 12J pathway. Practice Direction 12J of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 requires the court, where allegations of domestic abuse are raised, to follow a specific process that includes identifying the nature and extent of the allegations, considering whether a fact-finding hearing is necessary, and ensuring arrangements for the child’s safety are in place regardless of the outcome of any findings.

2. Alerting Cafcass. When Cafcass receives a case in which a C1A has been filed, it is required to treat the safeguarding checks as a priority. The practitioner preparing the safeguarding letter will specifically address the allegations raised and the risk profile they present.

3. Creating a formal record of your concerns. Everything you write on a C1A becomes part of the court record. This means your concerns are formally before the court from day one, rather than being raised orally at the first hearing and potentially being given less weight.

4. Informing interim arrangements. If the court is considering what contact, if any, should take place pending a final resolution of the case, the existence of a C1A — and its contents — directly informs that decision. A well-completed C1A can be the difference between supervised and unsupervised interim contact.

Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Form C1A

Step 1 — Understand What the Form Is Asking

The C1A is structured around specific categories of harm. Read through the entire form before you start writing. Each section asks you to describe the relevant concern, give examples of incidents, and provide any evidence you hold or can obtain. The form also asks whether you have reported any of the matters to the police or other agencies, and if so, what the outcome was.

Step 2 — Describe Each Concern Clearly and Separately

Do not try to describe multiple different forms of harm in a single paragraph. Separate each concern under the relevant heading. The court and Cafcass need to be able to identify quickly what type of harm you are alleging, the dates and frequency of incidents, and the impact on the child or on you as a parent.

Use plain, factual language. You do not need to use legal terminology. You do not need to characterise behaviour as “domestic abuse” if you are unsure of the legal definition — describe what happened and let the court draw the appropriate characterisation.

Step 3 — Be Specific About Incidents

Vague allegations are given less weight than specific ones. Where you can, include:

• Approximate dates or date ranges
• Location of the incident
• Who was present
• What was said or done
• The immediate effect on the child or on you
• Whether the child witnessed the incident

You are not expected to have perfect recall. Approximate dates (“around Christmas 2023”) are acceptable where you cannot be more precise. What matters is that your account is internally consistent and grounded in actual events.

Step 4 — Identify Any Supporting Evidence

The C1A asks you to list any evidence that supports your allegations. This may include:

• Police call logs or crime reference numbers
• Medical records (GP notes, A&E records, photographs of injuries)
• Records from a domestic abuse support service or refuge
• Text messages, emails, or social media messages
• Witness statements from family members, friends, or neighbours
• School records noting the child’s presentation or disclosures
• Social services records or previous assessments

You do not need to attach all of this evidence to the C1A at the point of filing. You are noting that it exists and can be produced. The court will give directions about disclosure of evidence at the first hearing.

Step 5 — Address the Impact on the Child

The court’s focus is on the child’s welfare. Even where your primary concern is domestic abuse directed at you rather than at the child, you must explain how that abuse has affected, or may affect, the child. This includes indirect harm — for example, a child witnessing abuse, a child being used as a messenger between parents, or a child being exposed to a household where abuse is occurring.

If the concern is direct harm to the child, describe the specific impact on the child’s physical health, emotional wellbeing, behaviour, education, or development.

Step 6 — State What You Are Asking the Court to Do

At the end of the C1A, set out what protective measures you are asking the court to consider. This might include:

• Supervised contact only, pending findings
• Contact to take place at a contact centre
• No direct contact, with indirect contact by letter or card
• A specific prohibited steps order preventing the other party from removing the child
• A referral to MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) if not already made

Be realistic. The court will not refuse all contact simply because a C1A has been filed. What it will do is consider what arrangement protects the child while the allegations are investigated.

Step 7 — Review for Accuracy and Sign

Everything in your C1A is a statement to the court. Review it carefully. Do not include anything you are not prepared to stand behind and, if necessary, give evidence about at a fact-finding hearing. Sign and date the form.

Step 8 — File Together with Your C100

The C1A must be filed at the same time as the C100. If you realise after filing that you need to add further safeguarding information, apply to the court immediately to file an amended or supplementary document. Do not wait until the first hearing.

Key Deadlines and What to Expect

• At or before issue: the applicant files the C1A with the C100.
• If you are the respondent: send the acknowledgement Form C7 and, where it applies, your 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).
• Before the first hearing (FHDRA): Cafcass (or Cafcass Cymru) considers the C1A as part of its safeguarding checks and 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 hearing (PD 12B paras 13.7 and 22.3).
• At the FHDRA: The judge will consider whether a fact-finding hearing is required to determine the truth of any disputed allegations before any welfare determination is made. This is a significant procedural decision with major implications for the length and complexity of the case.
• Fact-finding hearing (if ordered): The court will set a timetable, typically leading to a hearing within two to four months of the FHDRA, depending on court availability.

Keeping your address private. Do not write an address you want kept private on the C1A or the C100. Put it on Form C8 (confidential contact details) instead. GOV.UK updated the C1A on 1 June 2026 to direct people to that form, and says details given 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.

What Happens After C1A Is Filed?

Once a C1A is before the court:

1. Cafcass will carry out enhanced safeguarding checks, specifically looking for any police or local authority records relating to the allegations.
2. At the FHDRA, the judge will decide whether to list a finding of fact hearing or whether the case can proceed to welfare determination without one.
3. If a fact-finding hearing is listed, each party will be required to file a schedule of allegations (a document setting out each alleged incident in a structured format) and a response. The hearing will involve oral evidence and cross-examination.
4. Following a fact-finding hearing, the judge will make findings — conclusions about what did and did not happen. These findings then form the factual basis on which Cafcass prepares a welfare report and the court makes its final order.
5. Where no fact-finding hearing is required, the C1A allegations will nonetheless be considered by the welfare officer in their assessment and by the court in reaching its final decision.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not filing a C1A at all when you have genuine concerns. This is the most serious error. If you raise concerns for the first time at the final hearing, the court will question why they were not mentioned earlier.
2. Treating the C1A as an opportunity to list every grievance about the other parent. The C1A is for safeguarding concerns, not a general list of complaints about parenting style. Overloading it with minor or irrelevant matters can cause the serious concerns to be lost and can reduce your overall credibility.
3. Making allegations you cannot substantiate at all. An allegation that is thoroughly discredited at a fact-finding hearing — particularly if the court finds it was fabricated — can have severe consequences for your own case, including a finding that contact should be increased, not reduced.
4. Being so vague that the allegations cannot be meaningfully investigated. “He was always horrible to me” does not assist the court or Cafcass. Specific incidents with approximate dates do.
5. Failing to explain the impact on the child. The court’s focus is the child’s welfare. An allegation that does not connect to the child’s welfare is far less powerful than one that does.
6. Not listing available evidence. If you have police records, medical records, or digital evidence, the court needs to know they exist so that directions for disclosure can be given.
7. Withdrawing allegations under pressure without seeking independent advice. It is not unusual for pressure to be applied, formally or informally, to withdraw a C1A. If your concerns are genuine, do not withdraw them without taking independent advice first.

The Rules That Apply

• Children Act 1989, section 1 — the child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration; section 1(2A) presumes that each parent’s involvement furthers the child’s welfare, but not where there is evidence that involvement would put the child at risk of suffering harm (section 1(6)), which the court assesses using Practice Direction 12J
• Family Procedure Rules 2010, Practice Direction 12J — domestic abuse and harm in private law children proceedings; the core procedural framework whenever a C1A is in play
• Practice Direction 12B (Child Arrangements Programme) — general private law pathway

If you have safeguarding concerns at the time of filing, you should file a C1A. The court expects disclosure of known concerns at the earliest opportunity. Raising them for the first time at the first hearing is possible but is likely to attract adverse comment from the judge and may cause delay while the court and Cafcass consider whether further investigation is needed.

Q: What happens if the other party files a C1A making allegations against me?
A: You have the right to respond to any allegations made against you. At the first hearing, the judge will consider whether a fact-finding hearing is necessary. You will have the opportunity to file your own written response to the schedule of allegations. You should not ignore a C1A filed against you. Seek advice on how to respond clearly and calmly, addressing each allegation directly.

Q: Can the court order a finding of fact hearing even if both parties prefer not to have one?
A: Yes. The decision about whether a fact-finding hearing is necessary is for the court, not the parties. Where there are disputed allegations of domestic abuse or harm that are directly relevant to the welfare of the child, the court may determine that findings must be made before a welfare decision can be reached, regardless of whether either party prefers to avoid the process.

Q: Will the child be asked to give evidence at a fact-finding hearing?
A: Children very rarely give evidence directly in private law proceedings. Where a child has made a disclosure, the court will typically rely on records of that disclosure (for example, what was reported to a school or GP) rather than calling the child as a witness. The court’s priority is to protect the child from further harm, including the harm that giving evidence in proceedings could itself cause.

Q: What is the difference between a C1A and a section 37 report?
A: A C1A is a document you complete yourself to place safeguarding concerns before the court. A section 37 report is something the court directs when it considers whether a care or supervision order may be appropriate — in other words, when the court is considering public law intervention. A C1A can sometimes trigger the court to direct a section 37 investigation, but the two are different things. Most cases in which a C1A is filed remain in the private law arena throughout.

Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form N260: Statement of Costs — the costs schedule used at summary assessment.
• Form N244: Application Notice — the form for interim applications.
• Start a Money Claim Online (OCMC) — where most civil money claims begin.
• Particulars of Claim — setting out the basis of your claim.
• Civil Court Forms Index — every civil court form guide in one place.

The official A Form C1A (allegations of harm) — completed with you, in confidence

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The children application forms

C1A is the harm supplement to the main application. The related forms: C100 — child arrangements application · C2 — within existing proceedings · C79 — enforcing an order · FL401 — non-molestation / occupation order.

Other family-court forms in a separation

D8 — apply for divorce · Form A — financial order · Form E — financial statement.

Frequently asked questions

When do I need to file Form C1A?

You must file Form C1A with your C100 application or response if you are making any allegation of domestic abuse, physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect of a child, fabricated or induced illness, parental substance or alcohol misuse, mental-health concerns affecting the child, or any other safeguarding risk. It is not optional, and the threshold for filing is low by design — if you have a genuine concern, you should include it.

Can a respondent file a C1A, not just the applicant?

Yes. If you are the respondent to a C100 application you may file a C1A as part of your response where you have counter-allegations or your own safeguarding concerns. The right to file a C1A is not limited to applicants.

What does Form C1A actually do once it’s filed?

It triggers the Practice Direction 12J pathway, alerts Cafcass to treat its safeguarding checks as a priority, creates a formal record of your concerns on the court file from day one, and informs any interim contact arrangements the court is considering while allegations are investigated.

How specific do my allegations need to be?

Vague allegations are given less weight than specific ones. Where you can, include approximate dates or date ranges, the location, who was present, what was said or done, the immediate effect, and whether the child witnessed the incident. Approximate dates such as “around Christmas 2023” are acceptable where you cannot be more precise — what matters is that your account is internally consistent and grounded in actual events.

Do I have to attach all my evidence to the C1A?

No. The C1A asks you to list any supporting evidence — such as police records, medical records, messages, or witness accounts — but you are noting that it exists and can be produced, not attaching it all at the point of filing. The court will give directions about disclosure of evidence at the first hearing.

What happens after the C1A is before the court?

Cafcass carries out enhanced safeguarding checks and addresses the allegations in its safeguarding letter. At the FHDRA the judge decides whether a fact-finding hearing is needed to determine disputed allegations before any welfare decision. If one is listed, each party files a schedule of allegations and a response, and the hearing involves oral evidence and cross-examination.
Related guides: Form C100 application guide · All civil court forms