Form C100 meaning

Form C100 is the standard Family Court application in England and Wales used to start private law proceedings about a child. Practitioners use it to seek a child arrangements order, prohibited steps order or specific issue order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, and to apply to vary or discharge a section 8 order, or for permission (leave) to apply where required. The C100 is a court-prescribed form under the Family Procedure Rules (the orders are defined by statute, not the form). It records the parties’ and children’s details, the orders sought and reasons, urgency (including without notice applications), safeguarding concerns, and compliance with the Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) requirement (Children and Families Act 2014; PD3A). Allegations of harm or domestic abuse are set out on Form C1A, and confidential addresses can be protected using Form C8. Filing is via the HMCTS online service or by lodging the C100 at the Family Court with the fee or a Help with Fees reference. Submission typically triggers Cafcass safeguarding checks and listing for a FHDRA. “Form C100” is specific to England and Wales. Equivalent applications in Scotland (section 11, Children (Scotland) Act 1995), Northern Ireland (Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995)...