Form C100: child arrangements application guide

Form C100 is the application to the family court for a child arrangements order, a prohibited steps order or a specific issue order. It’s used when you can’t agree where children live, when they see each parent or a particular decision. The court fee is £270. You usually need to attend a MIAM first, and GOV.UK recommends applying online.

Official name: Application under the Children Act 1989 for a child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue (section 8) order, or to vary or discharge one
Court fee: £270, unless you get Help with Fees
Online or paper: Online at GOV.UK is recommended. C100 is the paper version.
Who fills it in: A parent with parental responsibility, or another relative such as a grandparent (some need the court’s permission)
When: After attending a MIAM, unless you are exempt
Current version: C100 (06.26)
Where it goes: Online, or by post to your child’s local family court with 3 copies

Correct at 20 October 2026. Fees from GOV.UK, Family court fees (EX50).

How do you fill in Form C100?

The paper C100 is long, but much of it only applies in particular situations. It starts with a set of screening questions (A1 to A8) that tell you which later sections to complete.

Questions A1 to A8: screening questions

These ask whether you need the court’s permission to apply, whether there’s an order stopping you applying without permission (a section 91(14) order), whether you need an urgent or without notice hearing, whether there are previous cases about the children, whether you’re asking the court to approve an agreement, whether there’s a Scottish, Northern Irish or international element, and whether anyone needs an interpreter or other help to take part. Each yes sends you to a later section.

Safety questions

The form asks whether you’re alleging that the children have experienced, or are at risk of, harm. If you are, you also complete form C1A, which sets out what has happened. If you don’t want the other parent to know your address or phone number, leave them off and use form C8.

Section 1: the children

The details the form asks for about each child the application is about, starting with full names and dates of birth.

Sections 2 to 4: the MIAM

It’s a legal requirement to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before applying, unless an exemption applies or you’re asking the court to approve an agreement. If you attended, the mediator signs Section 4. If you’re claiming an exemption, tick it in Section 3: domestic abuse, child protection concerns, urgency, a MIAM or other dispute resolution in the last 4 months, or another listed ground. Some exemptions need evidence, which you must send with the application.

Section 5: why you are applying

Choose the order or orders you’re asking for and explain briefly what you want and why. Keep it about the children and what they need, not what went wrong between you and the other parent. A short, factual account is more useful to a judge than a long one.

Sections 6 to 10: hearings, other cases and attending court

Section 6 is only for urgent or without notice hearings, with reasons. Section 7 lists other cases about the children, including protective orders such as non-molestation orders. Sections 8 and 9 cover international factors and anything affecting your ability to take part. Section 10 is about attending court: interpreters, disabilities, and safety arrangements such as a separate waiting room or entrance, a privacy screen, or joining by video link (the judge decides on video).

Sections 11 to 14: the people involved

Your details, the other parent’s (the respondent), anyone else who should be told about the case, and your solicitor if you have one.

Sections 15 and 16: checklist and statement of truth

Work through the checklist, then sign the statement of truth.

What are the common mistakes on Form C100?

Applying without a MIAM or a valid exemption, or claiming an exemption without the evidence it needs.
Writing about the other parent’s faults rather than the children’s needs.
Putting your address on the form when it needs to be kept private. Use C8.
Not completing C1A when there are safety concerns. The court needs it to plan the first hearing safely.
Using C100 to change an application the court is already dealing with. That needs form C2.
Using C100 to enforce an existing order. That needs form C79.

What happens after you send Form C100?

Once the court issues the application, it sends a copy to Cafcass (Cafcass Cymru in Wales), which carries out safeguarding checks and usually speaks to each parent by phone before the first hearing. At that hearing a judge or magistrates find out what you agree on and what you don’t, and whether your child is at risk. They may make an order by agreement, ask you to try mediation, send you both on a Separated Parents Information Programme, or ask Cafcass for a report.

GOV.UK says it usually takes around 10 months to get a court order, depending on where you live. Some areas now use a different process, the Child Focused Court model, where more work happens before the first hearing; our guide to a child arrangements order without a solicitor explains it.

Where do you get Form C100?

Apply online through GOV.UK if you can: you can save your application and return to it, and you have 28 days to finish once you’ve started. To apply on paper, download C100 from GOV.UK and send the original and 3 copies of each document to your child’s local family court.

Open Form C100 on GOV.UK

We explain forms but never host them, so you always download the current version from GOV.UK.

When should you get help with Form C100?

If there’s any chance of agreement, a mediator is usually quicker and cheaper than court, and the £500 Family Mediation Voucher can help with the cost. Speak to a family solicitor if there are safety concerns, if the other parent may take the children abroad, or if you need an urgent order. Legal aid may be available if you have evidence of domestic abuse.

Get help with Form C100

Tell us what’s going on and we’ll introduce you to two or three mediators who can help. Introductions are free for you.

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Common questions

How much does it cost to apply on form C100?

The court fee is £270. A MIAM usually costs around £120 on top, unless you are exempt or eligible for legal aid. Help with Fees can reduce or cover the court fee.

Do I have to go to mediation before applying?

You must attend a MIAM, an information meeting with a mediator, unless an exemption applies, such as evidence of domestic abuse or urgency. You do not have to go on to mediate.

Can I apply for a child arrangements order online?

Yes. GOV.UK recommends applying online. You can save your application and have 28 days to complete it once you start.

How long does a child arrangements order take?

GOV.UK says it usually takes around 10 months to get a court order, depending on where you live and your situation. Cases that settle at the first hearing finish much sooner.

Can grandparents use form C100?

Yes. Relatives such as grandparents can apply, though some people without parental responsibility need the court’s permission first. The form asks about this at question A1.

Sources

Guides and tools

This page is general information about court forms, not legal or financial advice. Forms, fees and rules change, so always download the current form from GOV.UK and speak to a qualified professional about your situation. Facts checked 20 October 2026.

Form C100: applying to court about arrangements for children