Form C100 and child arrangements orders

If you cannot agree arrangements for your child after separation, the family court can decide them with a child arrangements order. Applications are made on form C100, and the current court fee is £270.

What a child arrangements order covers

One order covers both questions that used to be called “residence” and “contact”: where the child lives and how much time they spend with each parent. Related applications on the same form include prohibited steps orders (stopping a specific action, such as taking the child abroad) and specific issue orders (deciding a specific question, such as schooling).

Before you apply: MIAM and the £500 mediation voucher

You must normally attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) first, unless an exemption applies (for example, urgency or domestic abuse). Mediation is funded differently:

  • The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme contributes up to £500 towards joint mediation sessions where the dispute concerns a child. It is not means-tested and the mediator applies for it — you never handle the voucher. It does not cover the MIAM itself.
  • If you are on a low income or certain benefits, Help with Fees can reduce or waive the £270 court fee — apply online or on form EX160 before you file.

The C100 form, step by step

  1. Basics — applicant and respondent details, the child’s details, what order you ask for.
  2. The wishes and feelings section — what your child wants (age-appropriate) and your proposed arrangements.
  3. Reasons and safeguarding — why the court is needed, any concerns about safety, any involvement of social services or the police.
  4. MIAM section — mediator details or your exemption and its ground.
  5. Fee — £270 by card/cheque with the form, or a Help with Fees reference.

Fee note (EX50, fees order 2.1): £270 is the fee for a new Children Act 1989 application — child arrangements, prohibited steps, specific issue or special guardianship orders. Enforcement applications are also £270; applications following breach of an enforcement order are £119.

What happens after filing

  1. Safeguarding checks — CAFCASS (see our separate guide) checks with police and local authorities and sends the court a safeguarding letter.
  2. First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA) — a short first hearing; CAFCASS speaks to both of you; the court tries to narrow issues or settle.
  3. If not agreed — the court can order reports (a CAFCASS section 7 report), fact-finding hearings where allegations need deciding, and eventually a final hearing where the order is made.

What the judge looks at

The child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration, under the welfare checklist in section 1 of the Children Act 1989: the child’s wishes and feelings, physical/emotional/educational needs, the effect of change, age/sex/background and any harm suffered or at risk, and how capable each parent is of meeting the child’s needs.

Organising your evidence

Whatever the stage, the parent who can show dated, sourced material — messages about handovers, a record of missed contact, school or medical notes — is easier to represent and easier to believe. EvidenceCanvas gives you a neutral workspace for the inventory, chronology and drafts: how it works for litigants.

Checked against GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and justice.gov.uk on 5 October 2026. EvidenceCanvas is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Related guides: Responding to a C100 on form C7 · Keeping your address confidential (form C8) · Form C1A: allegations of harm · What a C100 case costs in total · MIAM and mediation vs going to court