Applying to court: the C100

If you can't agree, you apply to the family court using form C100C100. The application form for a child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue order, or to vary one.. It's used for child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders. Submitting it isn't an act of aggression. It asks the court to provide structure where agreement hasn't been possible.

What the orders are

• Child arrangements orderChild arrangements order. An order deciding who a child lives with and who they spend time with, and when.: decides who a child lives with, who they spend time with, and when. It replaced the old terms "residence" and "contact".
• Prohibited steps orderProhibited steps order. An order stopping a parent from taking a particular step without the court's permission.: stops a parent taking a particular step without the court's permission, such as moving the child abroad.
• Specific issue orderSpecific issue order. An order deciding a particular question about a child's upbringing, such as schooling.: decides a particular question that parents can't agree on, such as which school a child attends.

Before you start

• Use the current form. Download the latest C100 from GOV.UK, or apply online. Forms change, so don't use an old saved copy. The online version guides you through each section and is harder to get wrong.^[9]
• Check the fee. The court fee is in the EX50EX50. The guidance that lists the current civil and family court fees. guidance. At the time of writing it was £270, from 13 July 2026. If you're on a low income or certain benefits, apply for Help with FeesHelp with Fees. A scheme that can reduce or cover eligible court fees. EX160 is the paper application form. online or with form EX160EX160. The form to apply for Help with Fees, if you're on a low income or certain benefits..^[10]
• Have your MIAMMIAM. Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting. A meeting to find out whether mediation or another way of resolving a dispute could help. It is usually required before certain family court applications, unless an… confirmation ready. You will need the mediator's confirmation that you went to a MIAM, or evidence for any exemption.
• Keep your details private if you need to. If your address or contact details need to stay private, put them on form C8C8. The form used to keep an address or contact details confidential. and leave them off the C100.

The risk of harm questions

Near the start, the form asks whether the child has experienced or is at risk of harm from domestic abuse, abduction, child abuse, drugs or alcohol, or other safety concerns. If you answer yes to any, you must also complete form C1AC1A. The supplementary form for setting out allegations of harm or domestic abuse..

Answer these honestly. If you have a genuine concern, say so and complete the C1A carefully and factually. If you don't, answer no. Ticking yes to strengthen an application commits you to a case you will then need to evidence, and can damage your credibility.

Why you are applying

The most important free-text part of the form asks you to briefly explain any previous agreements and how they broke down, why you're applying, what you want the court to do and any reasons the other parent has given. The form asks for a summary, not a full statement. You may be asked for a statement later. A workable structure follows the question:

1. What the arrangements were. Your involvement and the routine before things changed.
2. What changed. Briefly, factually, with approximate dates.
3. What you have tried. Direct attempts to resolve it, the MIAM and its outcome.
4. What you're asking for. Specific enough to be written into an order.
5. Why it serves your child. Two or three sentences.

A summary that works

This is a fictional example. Don't copy it unless every word is true for you. Notice what it leaves out: no speculation about motives, no comments about character and no history of the relationship. "I haven't been given a reason" is a fact. "She is doing this deliberately" is a theory you would then have to prove.

Be specific about what you want

"More contact" isn't something the court can turn into an order. "Alternate weekends, Friday after school to Sunday at 6pm" is. If you can't write your proposal down in a way that could be lifted straight into an order, you aren't quite ready to ask for it.

Sections that may not apply to you

The C100 is long, but much of it opens only if a routing question applies to you, such as an urgent hearing, previous proceedings or an international element. Leaving those sections blank when they genuinely don't apply is correct. Don't manufacture urgency or concerns to fill them.

The statement of truth

You sign to confirm that you believe the facts in the application are true. Proceedings for contempt of court can be brought against anyone who makes a false statement without an honest belief in its truth. Read it through once more before you sign, for accuracy rather than polish.

What happens when you submit

The court checks the application, issues it, gives it a case number and sends it to the other parent and to CafcassCafcass. The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which advises the family court on children's welfare in England. Cafcass Cymru does the same in Wales. (or Cafcass Cymru in Wales). Cafcass begins safeguarding checks, and the court lists the first hearing. Timescales vary between courts.