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Child Law · Child Arrangements

Child Arrangement Order Form: Applying to Court

The child arrangement order form, known as the C100, is how you ask the court to decide where your child lives and how they spend time with each parent when you cannot agree. A judge makes the decision with your child's welfare first. Where there has been domestic abuse, the court has clear duties to protect you, including keeping you safe at court and stopping an abuser from questioning you directly. We complete the form for you, deal with Cafcass and the court, and represent you at every hearing.

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What is the child arrangement order form?

The child arrangement order form is the C100, the court application you use to ask a judge to decide where a child lives and how they spend time with each parent. It is made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, and the same form is used to apply for a prohibited steps order or a specific issue order. You use it when you and the other parent cannot agree, rather than the agreed consent order route.

A judge, not the other parent, has the final say. The court's first and paramount concern is your child's welfare, and it will not simply assume that a child should spend equal time with both parents, especially where there has been abuse. If an order already exists but no longer works, you would instead apply to vary the existing order.

How to apply for a child arrangements order

To apply for a child arrangements order you complete and file the child arrangement order form, the C100. The current court fee is £270, with Help with Fees available if you are on a low income. You can apply on your own, and you do not need the other parent's agreement to start.

Before applying you would normally attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, a MIAM. Where there has been domestic abuse, an exemption from the MIAM usually applies, so you are not required to mediate with the other parent. Where you have concerns about harm to you or your child, a C1A form is filed alongside the C100, so the court and Cafcass have the safeguarding information from the start. We complete the C100 and C1A properly, which reduces the risk of delay or a rejected application.

The court process, step by step

Once the child arrangement order form is filed, contested cases follow a set path. The stages below are the ones most cases go through.

1. Application and safeguarding checks

You file the C100, and any C1A. The court issues the case and sends it to Cafcass, who carry out safeguarding checks and send a safeguarding letter to the court and both parents, usually at least three days before the first hearing.

2. The first hearing (FHDRA)

At the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment a Cafcass officer attends and the judge tries to narrow the issues. Where domestic abuse is raised, the court must address it here and will not push you into unsafe negotiation.

3. Fact-finding hearing, if needed

Where there are disputed allegations of domestic abuse that are relevant to the decision, the court can hold a fact-finding hearing to decide what happened, often using a schedule of allegations, before it goes further.

4. Cafcass welfare report (section 7)

The court often orders a section 7 report, in which a Cafcass officer looks at what is best for your child and makes recommendations. These reports carry significant weight and usually take around twelve to sixteen weeks.

5. Final hearing and order

If matters still cannot be agreed, a judge hears the evidence at a final hearing and makes a binding child arrangements order. Cases vary, but a contested case commonly takes several months to a year.

Protections if you have experienced domestic abuse

The family court has specific duties to keep you safe during contested proceedings. You do not have to face the other parent unprotected.

  • An abuser cannot question you in person. Since July 2022 this is banned by law, and the court appoints a qualified legal representative to carry out any questioning instead.
  • Special measures are available, such as a separate waiting area, a screen, or giving evidence by video link, so you do not have to sit with or be seen by the other parent.
  • Under Practice Direction 12J the court must consider domestic abuse at every stage and must not make arrangements that put you or your child at risk of further harm.
  • There is no automatic assumption of shared time where domestic abuse is a feature. The child's safety comes before contact.

Tell us, and the court, early if you have safety concerns, so the right protections are in place from the first hearing. For free and confidential support at any time you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency always call 999. The points on this page are correct as at June 2026 and are a general guide, not legal advice on your situation.

How the court decides

Every decision is governed by the welfare of your child, which the law makes the court's paramount consideration under section 1 of the Children Act 1989. The judge weighs the welfare checklist, which includes your child's wishes and feelings in light of their age, their needs, the likely effect of any change, and any risk of harm from either parent.

The court also applies the no-order principle. It makes an order only where doing so is better for the child than making none. In contested cases where there has been abuse, a clear order is usually needed to protect the child and settle the arrangements, and we set out for the court why that is so.

How we help

Our family solicitors guide you through contested proceedings from the first application to the final order, with your safety in mind throughout.

  1. 1

    An honest first assessment

    We listen in confidence, look at your situation and any abuse, and explain your options, what the court is likely to focus on, and the realistic outcomes.

  2. 2

    Completing your child arrangement order form

    We complete the C100 and, where needed, the C1A, deal with the MIAM exemption, and put your case and any safeguarding concerns clearly before the court.

  3. 3

    Representation at every hearing

    We represent you at the FHDRA, any fact-finding hearing and the final hearing, arrange special measures, and respond to the Cafcass section 7 report.

  4. 4

    Securing and enforcing the order

    We work to secure an order that keeps your child safe, help sort out any financial matters, and support you if the order is later breached.

What is included in our service

  • A confidential assessment of your case and the likely issues
  • Completing and filing your C100 and, where needed, the C1A
  • Handling the MIAM requirement and the domestic abuse exemption
  • Arranging special measures so you are safe at court
  • Representation at the FHDRA, any fact-finding hearing and the final hearing
  • Responding to the Cafcass section 7 report and challenging it where needed

This work is usually privately funded, and we offer a clear fixed fee so you know the cost from the start. Legal aid may be available for contested children proceedings where there has been domestic abuse or a risk of harm to a child, and it is means and merits tested. We will tell you honestly whether you may qualify and, where we cannot carry out legal aid work ourselves, help you find a provider who can. Any fee is set out clearly and in writing before any work begins, and there is no charge for an initial phone consultation.

Common questions

The child arrangement order form is the C100, the court application used to ask a judge to decide where a child lives and how they spend time with each parent. The same form covers prohibited steps and specific issue orders. A completed, accurate form avoids delay, so many parents ask a solicitor to prepare it.

You apply for a child arrangements order by completing and filing the C100 form, under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Where there has been abuse, a C1A is filed with it. In most cases you attend a MIAM first, unless an exemption such as domestic abuse applies. We can complete and file the application for you.

The court fee to file the C100 child arrangement order form is £270. If you are on a low income or certain benefits, Help with Fees may reduce or remove it. On top of the court fee is the cost of legal help, which we agree with you as a clear fixed fee before any work begins.

No, you should not have to. Special measures such as a separate waiting area, a screen or a video link are available where there has been domestic abuse. An abuser is also banned from questioning you in person, and the court appoints a qualified legal representative to do any questioning instead.

Where allegations of domestic abuse are disputed and relevant to the decision, the court can hold a fact-finding hearing to decide whether they are true. The findings then shape what arrangements are safe for the child. We help you set out your allegations clearly and represent you at the hearing.

A section 7 report is a welfare report by a Cafcass officer, recommending what is best for your child. Judges give it significant weight but are not bound by it, and it can be challenged at the final hearing. Reports usually take around twelve to sixteen weeks to complete.

It depends on the issues and whether a fact-finding hearing or a section 7 report is needed. Many contested cases take several months to a year from application to final order. We keep your case moving and push for interim protection where your child's safety requires it.

Last updated: June 2026.