C100 Application: A Complete Guide to Child Arrangements Orders

What Is a C100 Application?

A C100 is the court form used to apply for a child arrangements order under the Children Act 1989. A child arrangements order sets out who a child lives with, spends time with, or has contact with.

A note on the new "child-focused courts"

If you're preparing a child arrangements application, or you're already in the system, you may have heard the term "child-focused courts." It's the new name for what used to be called the Pathfinder pilot, and on 17 March 2026 the government confirmed it will be rolled out to every family court in England and Wales, on a region-by-region basis over the next three years. Wales already has it everywhere. Ten court areas in England and Wales were running it at announcement, with more added through 2026 and 2027. Read more in our guide to child-focused courts.

Before You File: The MIAM

Before you can file a C100, you must usually attend a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting). This is a meeting with a family mediator who assesses whether mediation could resolve your dispute without going to court.

If mediation is unsuitable, or you qualify for an exemption (such as domestic abuse), you record your MIAM attendance, or claim the exemption, in the MIAM section of the C100 itself (exemptions are at section 13d). No separate FM1 form is needed for a C100.

How to Complete the C100

The C100 asks for:

• Details of the child or children
• Details of both parents
• What order you are asking for (who the child lives with, who they spend time with)
• Whether there are any safeguarding concerns
• Your MIAM attendance or exemption (MIAM section of the C100)

If you are alleging harm or abuse, you also need to complete Form C1A.

Court Fees

The C100 carries a court fee of £270 (increased from £263 on 13 July 2026, as part of a wider inflation-linked rise to HM Courts and Tribunals Service fees). The same fee applies if you are applying for a Specific Issue Order or Prohibited Steps Order.

If you cannot afford the fee, you may qualify for help through the Help with Fees scheme, applied for using Form EX160, sent to the court alongside your application. Eligibility depends on your income and any benefits you receive.

A MIAM itself typically costs around £138 per person if you are not exempt, on top of the court fee.

What Happens After You File?

1. The court issues the application and serves it on the respondent
2. Cafcass carries out safeguarding checks on both parties
3. The respondent files a C7 response within 14 days
4. The first hearing (FHDRA) is listed

If You Are the Respondent

You do not file a C100. You receive the application and must:

• File a C7 within 14 days
• Complete C1A if you are responding to or making allegations
• File C8 if you need your contact details kept confidential

Why Your C1A Matters More Than Ever

If you are alleging harm or abuse, Form C1A is where you set out those allegations in writing. It has always mattered — but under the new child-focused courts model (formerly the Pathfinder pilot), it matters far more.

Here is why:

• The court relies on written evidence earlier. In the new model, a judge reviews your papers at the gatekeeping stage — before either party is in the room — and decides what should happen next based largely on what you have written.
• The Child Impact Report draws on it. Cafcass prepares a Child Impact Report early in the case, covering safeguarding checks, the child's views, and a domestic abuse risk assessment. What you put in the C1A shapes what Cafcass looks into and what the judge reads.
• The decision hearing is judge-led. Instead of a string of directions hearings, the case may be decided at a single decision hearing where the judge works from the written record. If your allegations are vague, missing, or buried in narrative, they may not get the attention they deserve.

How to Fill in the C1A Well

• Be specific, not emotional. State what happened, when, and the impact on the child — in numbered, dated paragraphs the judge can follow.
• Stick to facts you can evidence. Every allegation should point to something: a message, a witness, a record. Unsupportable claims undermine your credibility.
• Link each allegation to the child. The court's focus is the child's welfare, so connect each point to how it affected them.
• Don't bury the serious points. Lead with the most significant safeguarding concerns so they are not lost in a long account.
• Keep it focused. A long, unfocused C1A can read as a general complaint rather than a safeguarding statement. Quality over quantity.

A McKenzie Friend can help you structure and sequence your C1A so the court sees your concerns clearly — though as a litigant in person, you remain responsible for its contents.

Common Mistakes

• Filing without completing the MIAM section — the court will return your application
• Not being specific about what you want — vague requests lead to vague orders
• Forgetting C1A — if there are safeguarding concerns, this form is essential
• Not keeping contact details private — if there are safety concerns, use C8

How a McKenzie Friend Helps

A McKenzie Friend can help you:

• Understand what the C100 is asking
• Organise your evidence and chronology
• Prepare for the Cafcass officer's visit
• Attend the FHDRA with you for support

They cannot draft the C100 for you — as a litigant in person, you are fully responsible for its contents.

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Further Reading

• Child-Focused Courts Are Coming: What Litigants in Person Need to Know
• How to Prepare for Your First Family Court Hearing
• Your Journey Map — Child Arrangements Pathway
• Community Insights — Real Gaps and Stories
• Find a McKenzie Friend