C100 child arrangements application — the father's step-by-step guide
The C100 is the form that starts a private-law children case — child arrangements orders (who a child lives with and when), prohibited steps and specific issue orders, under s.8 Children Act 1989. Fee: £270 (remission available).
Before you fill anything in
- Define the order you actually need "Contact alternate weekends and half of school holidays" is an outcome a court can order. "Fairness" is not. Write your proposal in days, times and places before touching the form.
- MIAM or exemption You must normally show you considered family mediation first. Exemptions: urgency, domestic abuse, previous MIAM within 4 months, the other party refuses contact with a mediator, and more — full list and evidence.
- Gather the facts file Dates of past contact, the messages that show your involvement (school runs, medical appointments), any incidents — dated. Evidence log structure.
Filling the form without sinking yourself
- Sections 1–4: the mechanics Names, addresses, the child's details. Straightforward — but check the "help with fees" and previous-proceedings boxes carefully; errors here cause rejection at issue.
- Section 5: concerns — the paragraph that decides your first hearing State concerns about the child's welfare, factually: "On 3 March contact was cancelled by message at 18:40 (exhibit 1); child had been packed and ready since 15:00." Never: "she's a narcissist", never accusations you cannot evidence. The court sees emotion as risk and precision as credibility.
- The order box Ask exactly for what you drafted in step one. The court can only sensibly direct a case toward what is actually sought.
- File and pay Online is fastest via GOV.UK. Paper goes to the family court for the child's area — court finder lists venues. Fee remission: help with fees.
What happens after issue
- Cafcass safeguarding checks (police + local authority) and a short letter to the court before the FHDRA — how to read yours.
- FHDRA listed, typically 6–12 weeks out — position statement ready.
- Possible section 7 report if welfare can't be resolved on the papers — what s.7 involves.
Typical case arc without findings: FHDRA → interim contact order → DRA (dispute resolution appointment) → final hearing or consent order. With serious allegations: add a findings-of-fact hearing — what that means.
Before your hearing
Turning scattered messages, notes and dates into evidence takes structure. apply this guide to your own documents — EvidenceCanvas is a guided toolkit that helps you draft a child-focused witness statement, answer a Scott Schedule point by point, and assemble a paginated court bundle. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.