Form C100

Form C100 is the application form used in England and Wales to ask the Family Court for an order about a child under section 8 of the Children Act 1989: a child arrangements order (deciding with whom a child lives and when they spend time with each parent), a prohibited steps order, or a specific issue order, and to vary or discharge such an order.[1][2] Form C100 can be completed online or on paper, costs £270 to issue, and must normally be accompanied by confirmation that the applicant has attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) or a claim to an exemption.[3][4]

Filing a C100 starts private law children proceedings. The court allocates the case within one working day, Cafcass carries out safeguarding checks, and a First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment is listed, ordinarily in the fifth or sixth week after issue.[5] Where the applicant alleges harm or domestic abuse, Form C1A is filed with it.[6] In January to March 2026, 15,534 private law cases were started, and in 49 per cent of cases disposed neither party had legal representation.[7]

Written by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy at Mediate UK and Associate Member of Resolution. Reviewed by Belinda Atkins, Managing Director of Mediate UK. Last reviewed 6 September 2026; last updated 6 September 2026; next scheduled review March 2027.

Definition and purpose

The C100 is the prescribed form for an application to initiate proceedings for a section 8 order. Section 8(1) of the Children Act 1989 defines the three orders it can seek. A child arrangements order is “an order regulating arrangements relating to any of the following: with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person”. A prohibited steps order provides that “no step which could be taken by a parent in meeting his parental responsibility for a child, and which is of a kind specified in the order, shall be taken by any person without the consent of the court”. A specific issue order is “an order giving directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child”.[2]

The form is also used to apply to vary or discharge an existing section 8 order, which the Act treats as itself a section 8 order.[2][1] It is not used for applications within proceedings that are already under way, for which Form C2 is used, nor for enforcement of an existing child arrangements order, for which Form C79 is used.[8][9] HM Courts and Tribunals Service guidance CB1 states plainly: “You must complete form C100 if you are applying for a child arrangements order, prohibited steps order, specific issue order”.[10]

The current version of the paper form, C100 (06.26), runs to 51 pages including guidance notes and was published on 1 June 2026.[1] Practical guidance on completing each section, as opposed to the law and procedure described here, is published by C100Form.co.uk, an information site operated by Family Legal Ltd, the publisher of this wiki.

The substantive law is in Part II of the Children Act 1989. Section 8 creates the orders; section 10 governs who may apply and when the court may make an order; section 1 sets the principles the court must apply; and section 11 contains supplementary powers, including the power to attach directions and conditions to an order and to make it for a specified period.[2][11][12][13] The orders were renamed by section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which abolished “residence” and “contact” orders and replaced them with the single child arrangements order from 22 April 2014.[14]

Procedure is governed by Part 12 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, which defines private law proceedings, identifies applicants and respondents, and provides for issue, service, without-notice applications and the first hearing, and by Practice Direction 12B, the Child Arrangements Programme, which sets out the stages a case follows from application to final order.[15][5] The MIAM pre-condition is in section 10 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and Part 3 of the Rules.[4][16] Practice Direction 12J governs any case in which domestic abuse is raised.[17]

The application is made to the Family Court, the single national court for family cases created by section 17 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 with effect from 22 April 2014.[18] Within the court, a case may be heard by lay magistrates, a district judge, a circuit judge or, exceptionally, a High Court judge, according to its complexity; see the Family Court.

Who can apply

Under section 10 of the Children Act 1989 a person may apply for a section 8 order either as of right or with the court’s permission (“leave”).[11] Any parent, guardian or special guardian, any step-parent or civil partner who has acquired parental responsibility under section 4A, and any person named in a child arrangements order as a person with whom the child lives may apply for any section 8 order without permission.[11] A wider group may apply for a child arrangements order without permission, including any person with whom the child has lived for at least three years and anyone who has the consent of those with whom the child lives or who hold parental responsibility.[11] Everyone else, including most grandparents, must first ask the court’s permission.

Entitlement to apply for a section 8 order under section 10 of the Children Act 1989
ApplicantMay apply without permission forProvision
Parent, guardian or special guardianAny section 8 orders.10(4)(a)[11]
Step-parent or civil partner with parental responsibility under s.4AAny section 8 orders.10(4)(aa)[11]
Person named in a child arrangements order as a person with whom the child livesAny section 8 orders.10(4)(b)[11]
Party to a marriage or civil partnership in relation to whom the child is a child of the familyChild arrangements orders.10(5)(a), (aa)[11]
Person with whom the child has lived for at least three years (not necessarily continuous; not begun more than five years before, nor ended more than three months before, the application)Child arrangements orders.10(5)(b), (10)[11]
Person with the consent of those named in a live-with order, the local authority (if in care), or everyone with parental responsibilityChild arrangements orders.10(5)(c)[11]
Local authority foster parent with whom the child has lived for at least one yearChild arrangements orders.10(5A)[11]
Relative with whom the child has lived for at least one yearChild arrangements order about where the child lives onlys.10(5B), (5C)[11]
Anyone else, including most grandparentsRequires the court’s permission firsts.10(1)(a)(ii), (9)[11]

When deciding whether to grant permission the court must have particular regard to the nature of the proposed application, the applicant’s connection with the child, any risk that the application would disrupt the child’s life to a harmful extent, and, where the child is looked after by a local authority, the authority’s plans and the wishes of the parents.[11] A child may be given permission to apply only if the court is satisfied that they have sufficient understanding.[11] Permission is sought on Form C2, filed with the C100.[8][10]

The respondents to a C100 are every person the applicant believes to have parental responsibility for the child and, where the child is subject to a care order, those who had parental responsibility before it was made; on an application to vary or discharge an order, the parties to the original proceedings.[15] See parental responsibility.

Before applying: the MIAM requirement

Section 10(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 provides that “before making a relevant family application, a person must attend a family mediation information and assessment meeting”.[4] A C100 application is a relevant family application, so the form contains sections in which either an authorised family mediator confirms the applicant’s attendance or the applicant claims one of the exemptions in rule 3.8 of the Family Procedure Rules.[16][1] Practice Direction 12B confirms that an application “can be made only after a MIAM has taken place” unless an exemption applies.[5]

The exemptions on the form are grouped as domestic abuse, child protection concerns, urgency, previous attendance at a MIAM or non-court dispute resolution in the last four months, and other.[1] GOV.UK summarises them as: attending a MIAM or trying other ways of agreeing in the last four months; evidence of domestic abuse; applying for a consent order; social services involvement or risk of harm to the children; inability to attend because of location, situation or mediator availability; a without-notice application; or urgency.[3] The full list, the evidence each requires, and the 2024 tightening of the practical exemptions are explained on MIAM exemptions.

The court checks the claimed exemption at the gatekeeping stage and, if it was not validly claimed or no longer applies, may direct the applicant or both parties to attend a MIAM and adjourn the case for that purpose.[16][19] The court’s wider powers to encourage and adjourn for non-court dispute resolution, and the costs consequences of an unreasonable failure to engage, are on non-court dispute resolution and FPR Part 3. Practice Direction 12B also encourages parents to prepare a Parenting Plan, and states that if one has been prepared it should be attached to the C100.[5] The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme contributes up to £500 towards mediation in disputes about children.[20]

Completing and filing the form

The sections of the form

The June 2026 form has sixteen sections: the children; the requirement to attend a MIAM; the applicant’s claim to an exemption; the mediator’s confirmation of attendance; why the application is being made; urgent and without-notice hearings; other court cases concerning the children; any international, Scottish or Northern Irish element; factors affecting a party’s ability to take part; attending court; the applicant’s details; the respondents; others who should be given notice; solicitor’s details; a checklist; and a statement of truth.[1] Early in the form the applicant is asked whether there are concerns about the risk of harm to the children; the form states: “If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above, you must complete form C1A.”[1]

Online or paper

Applications may be made through the online child arrangements service on GOV.UK, which HMCTS opened to the public in February 2020 after a pilot in which more than 8,000 applications were made, or on the paper form, in which case the court needs the original and three copies.[21][3] An online application must be completed within 28 days of being started.[3] The online service produces digital versions of the C100 and, where needed, the C1A and the confidential contact details form C8. Whichever route is used, the application is issued by the court, which then serves it on the respondents unless the applicant asks to do so or the court directs otherwise.[15]

Fee and Help with Fees

The fee for a new application under the Children Act 1989 is £270, under fee 2.1 of the Family Proceedings Fees Order as shown in the July 2026 edition of HMCTS fee list EX50; GOV.UK states: “It costs £270 to apply for a court order.”[22][3] An application within existing proceedings on notice is £195 and without notice or by consent £62; an application for a non-molestation or occupation order carries no fee.[22] A person on a low income or certain benefits may apply for Help with Fees, online or on form EX160, which can remit the fee in full or in part.[23] Current fee figures across the court are kept on family court fees.

Form C1A and urgent or without-notice applications

Form C1A, “Allegations of harm and domestic violence (supplemental information form)”, is filed with the C100 where the applicant alleges that the child has suffered or is at risk of harm, including through domestic abuse.[6] Practice Direction 12B explains that the C1A enables the court to make appropriate decisions about allocation and case management, and Practice Direction 12J requires the court to consider at every stage whether domestic abuse is raised, whether on the C1A, through Cafcass safeguarding enquiries or otherwise.[5][17] A respondent may file their own C1A in reply.

Section 6 of the form deals with urgent and without-notice hearings. Rule 12.16 permits an application for a section 8 order to be made without notice, in which case the application must be filed at the time it is made (or the next business day if made by telephone) and served on the respondent within 48 hours.[15] Practice Direction 12B states that without-notice orders “should be made only exceptionally”, where giving notice would enable the respondent to defeat the purpose of the order, where there is exceptional urgency, or where the respondent cannot be found; urgency includes “risk to life, liberty, or physical safety”.[5] A without-notice application is itself a MIAM exemption.[16]

After filing: gatekeeping, Cafcass and the first hearing

Once issued, a C100 application is considered by a nominated legal adviser or district judge, “the Gatekeeper”, within one working day, who allocates it to the appropriate level of judge and gives initial directions.[5] A copy is sent to Cafcass (or Cafcass Cymru in Wales), which carries out safeguarding enquiries with the local authority and the police, conducts telephone risk-identification interviews with each party, and provides the court with a safeguarding letter within 17 working days of receiving the application and at least three working days before the first hearing.[5][24] The First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment should ordinarily take place in week 5 after issue and at the latest in week 6.[5]

Gatekeeping and allocation

Gatekeeping is the point at which the court checks that the form is complete, considers any urgency, examines any MIAM exemption claimed, and allocates the case. Practice Direction 12B notes that an incomplete C100 may cause delay.[5] Allocation determines whether the case is heard by magistrates or by a district or circuit judge. In the areas operating the Child Focused Courts model (formerly the Pathfinder pilot under Practice Direction 36Z), the standard programme is replaced by an investigative approach in which Cafcass prepares a Child Impact Report before the first hearing; see History.[25][26]

Cafcass safeguarding enquiries

Cafcass describes its pre-hearing role in plain terms: “We carry out safeguarding checks with the police and the local authority”, followed by an appointment to talk to each parent or carer by telephone, and “at least three days before the first court hearing, we will provide the court with a short report”.[24] Practice Direction 12B requires that report, the safeguarding letter, to “record and outline any safety issues for the court”, and provides that interim orders should not be made in the absence of safeguarding checks unless needed to protect the child’s safety.[5] Practice Direction 12J adds that no order should be made by consent unless the safeguarding checks have been obtained and a Cafcass officer has spoken to the parties separately.[17]

The First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment

The FHDRA is, in the words of Practice Direction 12B, “an opportunity for the parties to be helped to an understanding of the issues which divide them, and to reach agreement”.[5] Practice Direction 12B sets its objectives: enabling the parties to discuss the matters in issue, identifying and where possible resolving or narrowing them, and giving directions; rule 12.31 provides for the court to fix its date.[5][15] The judge or magistrates, working with the Cafcass officer, seek to conciliate; where agreement is reached and safeguarding permits, a final order may be made at this hearing. Where it is not, the court identifies the issues, decides whether a fact-finding hearing is needed under Practice Direction 12J, considers whether to order a section 7 welfare report, and timetables the case.[5][17] Practice Direction 12B states that welfare reports “will generally only be ordered in cases where there is a dispute as to with whom the child should live” or other issues that require them.[5] The hearing is described in detail on First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment; a practical account from the applicant’s perspective is at C100Form.co.uk.

Later stages

If a section 7 report is ordered, a Cafcass family court adviser carries out a more detailed assessment of the disputed issues and reports to the court on the child’s welfare; Cafcass states that the adviser “will not ask your children to decide on their arrangements”.[27] The court then lists a Dispute Resolution Appointment to follow the report, at which many cases settle.[5] Where domestic abuse is alleged and disputed, and the court considers it necessary to the outcome, a fact-finding hearing is held first; the Court of Appeal in Re H-N [2021] EWCA Civ 448 confirmed that “not every case requires a fact-finding hearing even where domestic abuse is alleged”, and that the test is whether findings are necessary.[28][17] Cases that do not settle proceed to a final hearing, at which evidence is heard and the court decides.

Throughout, the court must timetable the case “so that the dispute can be resolved as soon as safe and possible in the interests of the child”, and section 1(2) of the Children Act 1989 requires it to have regard to the principle that delay is likely to prejudice the child’s welfare.[5][12] In January to March 2026 the average time for a private law children case to be disposed was 35 weeks, down around five weeks on the same period in 2025.[7]

How the court decides

Whatever order is sought on a C100, the court applies section 1 of the Children Act 1989: “the child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration”.[12] Where the application is opposed the court must have regard to the welfare checklist in section 1(3): the ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child considered in the light of age and understanding; the child’s physical, emotional and educational needs; the likely effect of any change in circumstances; age, sex, background and relevant characteristics; any harm suffered or at risk of being suffered; how capable each parent and other relevant person is of meeting the child’s needs; and the range of powers available to the court.[12]

Two further principles shape the outcome. Under section 1(2A), inserted in October 2014, the court must presume, unless the contrary is shown, that the involvement of each parent in the child’s life will further the child’s welfare, where that parent can be involved without putting the child at risk of harm; “involvement” means involvement of some kind, direct or indirect, “but not any particular division of a child’s time”.[12][29] Under section 1(5), the “no order” principle, the court shall not make any order “unless it considers that doing so would be better for the child than making no order at all”.[12] Where domestic abuse is found, Practice Direction 12J requires the court to apply each item of the welfare checklist with reference to that abuse and to explain in its reasons how the findings influenced its decision.[17] The checklist is explained on Family Law Wiki.

Variation, enforcement and repeat applications

An order made on a C100 can later be varied or discharged on a further C100, and the welfare checklist applies again if the change is opposed.[2][12] A child arrangements order regulating where a child lives, or contact, ceases to have effect if the parents live together for a continuous period of more than six months.[13]

Breach of a child arrangements order is dealt with on Form C79, which also carries a £270 fee.[9][30] Under section 11J of the Children Act 1989 the court may make an enforcement order imposing an unpaid work requirement of between 40 and 200 hours if satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to comply without reasonable excuse, and under section 11O may order compensation for financial loss.[31][30] Enforcement is covered on enforcing a child arrangements order.

To prevent repeated applications, section 91(14) allows the court to order that no application of a specified kind may be made about the child by a named person without the court’s permission. Section 91A, inserted by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and in force from 19 May 2022, provides that such an order may be made where a further application would put the child or another person at risk of harm, and that the court may make it of its own motion.[32][33]

Statistics

Private law children proceedings in England and Wales, Family Court Statistics Quarterly
MeasureJanuary to March 2026Note
Private law cases started15,534Up 16 per cent on the same quarter in 2025[7]
New private law orders applied for29,793Involving 22,928 children[7]
Private law orders made27,663Down 4 per cent[7]
Average time to disposal35 weeksDown around five weeks on the same quarter in 2025[7]
Disposals where neither party was legally represented49 per centUp three percentage points[7]
Disposals where both parties were legally represented13 per centDown one percentage point[7]

The Ministry of Justice does not publish a count of C100 forms as such; the “cases started” figure is the closest measure, since most private law cases begin with a C100. The high proportion of unrepresented parties is one reason the form and its guidance leaflets CB1 and CB7 are written for lay applicants, and why support for litigants in person is a recurring theme of family justice reform.[10][34][7]

History

Development of section 8 applications and the C100
DateDevelopment
14 October 1991The Children Act 1989 came into force, creating section 8 orders (then residence, contact, prohibited steps and specific issue orders) and the welfare checklist[2][12]
8 December 2008Enforcement orders with unpaid work requirements introduced by the Children and Adoption Act 2006 (section 11J)[31]
22 April 2014The single Family Court opened; residence and contact orders were replaced by the child arrangements order; the statutory MIAM requirement began; the Child Arrangements Programme (PD12B) came into effect[18][14][4][5]
22 October 2014The presumption of parental involvement (section 1(2A)) came into force[29]
February 2020The online child arrangements application became available to the public[21]
30 March 2021Re H-N: the Court of Appeal gave guidance on when fact-finding hearings are needed and on patterns of coercive control[28]
21 February 2022The Pathfinder pilot (PD36Z) began in Dorset and North Wales, later extended to Cardiff, Birmingham, South West Wales, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Hampshire[25]
19 May 2022Section 91A (barring orders where further applications would risk harm) came into force[33]
29 April 2024Amendments to FPR Part 3 tightened MIAM exemptions and strengthened the court’s powers over non-court dispute resolution[16]
17 March 2026The Ministry of Justice announced national expansion of the Pathfinder model, renamed Child Focused Courts, reporting cases resolved up to 7.5 months faster in pilot areas[26]

See also

References

  1. Apply for a court order to make arrangements for a child or resolve a dispute about their upbringing: Form C100. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 1 June 2026 (form version 06.26). Accessed 5 September 2026.
  2. Children Act 1989, section 8: Child arrangements orders and other orders with respect to children. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  3. Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate: apply for a court order. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  4. Children and Families Act 2014, section 10: Family mediation information and assessment meetings. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  5. Practice Direction 12B: Child Arrangements Programme. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  6. Allegations of harm and domestic violence (supplemental information form): Form C1A. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 1 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  7. Family Court Statistics Quarterly, January to March 2026. Ministry of Justice. 25 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  8. Application in existing court proceedings relating to children: Form C2. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 15 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  9. Application related to enforcement of a child arrangement order: Form C79. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 1 June 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  10. Making an application: children and the family courts (CB1). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 7 August 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  11. Children Act 1989, section 10: Power of court to make section 8 orders. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  12. Children Act 1989, section 1: Welfare of the child. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  13. Children Act 1989, section 11: General principles and supplementary provisions. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  14. Children and Families Act 2014, section 12: Child arrangements orders. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  15. Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 12: Children proceedings except parental order proceedings and proceedings for applications in adoption, placement and related proceedings. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  16. Family Procedure Rules 2010, Part 3: Non-court dispute resolution. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  17. Practice Direction 12J: Child arrangements and contact orders: domestic abuse and harm. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  18. Crime and Courts Act 2013, section 17: The family court. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  19. Practice Direction 3A: Family Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs). Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  20. Family Mediation Voucher Scheme. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  21. Digital form quicker and easier for separated parents applying to see children. HM Courts and Tribunals Service. 19 February 2020. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  22. Family court fees (EX50). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 13 July 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  23. Get help paying court and tribunal fees. GOV.UK. updated 2 September 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  24. Overview of our involvement with you as you go through the court process. Cafcass. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  25. Practice Direction 36Z: Pilot scheme: private law reform: investigative approach. Ministry of Justice. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  26. Children to get swifter justice as new family court approach expands nationally. Ministry of Justice. 17 March 2026. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  27. The court asks an FCA to write a report if your case goes beyond the first hearing (section 7 reports). Cafcass. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  28. Re H-N and Others (Children) (Domestic Abuse: Finding of Fact Hearings) [2021] EWCA Civ 448. Find Case Law, The National Archives. 30 March 2021. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  29. Children and Families Act 2014, section 11: Welfare of the child: parental involvement. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  30. Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate: change or enforce an order. GOV.UK. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  31. Children Act 1989, section 11J: Enforcement orders. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  32. Children Act 1989, section 91: Effect and duration of orders etc.. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  33. Children Act 1989, section 91A: Section 91(14) orders: further provision. legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 5 September 2026.
  34. Guide for separated parents: children and the family courts (CB7). HM Courts and Tribunals Service. updated 9 October 2024. Accessed 5 September 2026.

This article is part of Family Court Wiki, published by Family Legal Ltd. It is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Last reviewed 6 September 2026. About this site and editorial policy · Report an error.