Form C66

WHAT IS FORM C66 USED FOR?

Form C66 is the form used to make an application to the high court for a child to become a ward of court. 

Under practice division 12D of the family procedure rules wardship is when the high court becomes a child’s legal guardian. If this happens the child becomes a ward of court. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBPAGE FOR PRACTICE DIVISION 12D OF THE FAMILY PROCEDURE RULES

Wardships are granted by the high court when there is a significant risk of harm to the child. Such circumstances are:

1. If a child is being taken abroad by force
2. To protect a child from being groomed
3. To protect an abducted child
4. If a child needs medical treatment
5. If a child is being radicalised
6. If a child is being forced into a marriage
7. If a child is at risk of female genital mutilation.

When a child is made ward of court the parental responsibility is shared between the high court and anyone else who has existing parental responsibility for the child such as the parents or the local authority as long as the court believes they should still have parental responsibility. Day to day decisions for the child can be made by the individuals or the council (social workers) with parental responsibility. However, important life changing decisions can only be made with the high courts permission. These are decisions such as:

1. Changing the child’s name.
2. The child getting married
3. The child being interviewed by the police or a journalist/reporter
4. The child going abroad out of England and Wales
5. The child being adopted
6. Serious medical treatment
7. Change of living arrangements 

ARE THERE ANY GOVERNMENT OR OUR OWN L.I.P HELP GUIDES OR WRITE UPS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE FORM C66?

There are no specific government guides for form C66 at present. However, you can read the government guide CB1 ‘making an application to the children and the family courts’ 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR GUIDE CB1

Please read our webpage for wardship for complete background information regarding wardship..

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR WARDSHIP.

WHAT IS THE FEE TO SEND FORM C66 TO THE COURT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT?

There is a fee to submit form C66 to the court.

Please click on the link below to government guide EX50 page 15 for family court fees.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT GUIDE EX50 FOR FAMILY COURT FEES

• Please attach a cheque or postal order made payable to HM Courts & Tribunal Service.
• If you are on certain benefits or on a low income, you can apply to the court to have your fees paid for you. The form you need is called form EX160. You can complete and submit the form online or download a hardcopy from the government website. You will need to attach proof of your benefits, your income, and/or 3 months bank statements. The government website also has the EX160A guidance notes which you can download and read to help you complete form EX160. You can send the completed form EX160 with all attachments along with your completed form C66 for the court to consider. Or you could have sent your completed form EX160 to the court in advance and received a ‘help with fees’ reference number starting with HWF to put on the front page of the form you are asking help with, in this case, form C66.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM EX160 (Here, you can access both form EX160 & EX160A guidance notes) 

HOW TO COMPLETE FORM C66 AND WHERE TO SEND IT

• NOTE 1 – If you are completing and sending form C66 into the court then you are known as the petitioner or applicant. Everyone else who needs to be notified is known as the respondent. These are individuals with parental responsibility and anyone involved or affected by this application. 
• NOTE 2 – You can complete form C66 online, then print a hard copy and sign and date it. Alternatively you can download it, print it and then complete it by black pen; 
• NOTE 3 – If you find there is not enough space to complete your answers on your form C66 then please use additional sheets of paper to continue and attach them to your supplementary form. Please write your name, address, and question number on the top of your additional sheets of paper. 
• NOTE 4 – Please send at least 3-4 copies of form C66, any evidence and any other forms to the court. The court will distribute the copies accordingly. One copy is required for the court, one for Cafcass and one for each party in the proceedings.
• NOTE 5 – Please keep a copy of your form C66 and any attachments for yourself outside of the ones you send to the family court.
• Form C66 is 12 pages long.
• The first box on page 1 of your form will ask for your (the applicants) name. The applicant is the individual completing this form and submitting it to the high court. 
• The second box on page 1 of your form asks you to write the names of any respondents in this case. This is anyone else who has parental responsibility for the child or involved in this case or affected by this case.
• The boxes underneath ask for the details of the children involved and the type of court order you are applying for. 
• You will then be asked for any details of any fixed hearing date or period.
• Part 1 on page 2 will ask for your name, middle name, surname, previous surnames, date of birth, gender, place of birth, address, contact telephone number, whether you have lived at your address for more than 5 years and if you have not then you need to list the addresses you have lived at in the box provided.
• If you want yours and the child’s contact details to be kept confidential, please do not put these contact details down on part 1 of your form C66. Please complete a form C8 and send it along with your form C66. You must make sure that all forms, evidence, or reports you send to the court from now on must not contain these contact details. The court staff will not do this for you. Once you have completed form C8, the court and Cafcass will not release these contact details to anyone without a court order.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C8

• Part 1 continues on page 3 where you will be asked for your solicitor details. 
• Part 2 on page 4 will ask for details about the children this application is about. You will also be asked what your relationship is to the child(ren). There is space for the details of 4 children. If you need to give details about a fifth child then you must write these details on an extra sheet of paper and attach it to your form. You will next be asked to write down the children’s addresses in the box provided. As above if you want the child’s contact details to be kept confidential, please do not put these contact details down on part 2 of your form C66. Please complete a form C8 and send it along with your form C66. You must make sure that all forms, evidence, or reports you send to the court from now on must not contain these contact details. The court staff will not do this for you. Once you have completed form C8, the court and Cafcass will not release these contact details to anyone without a court order.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C8

You will now be asked to detail any information about the child’s whereabouts. You will then be asked if you know of any reason that the child, their parent or any adult concerned with this application and has a connection to this child is habitually resident outside of England and Wales. Habitually resident is where someone’s life and work is based. Their children may go to school there. They are settled and their main family life is there.

• Part 3 on page 6 will ask you for a summary of what you want the court to do.
• Part 4 on page 6 will ask you to detail the reasons why you are making this application and any facts and information you are relying on. Then you will be asked if your application includes any issues under the human rights act 1998. You will be asked to either tick the ‘yes’ box, the ‘no’ box or the ‘don’t know’ box.
• Part 5 on page 7 will ask if you have tried mediation to sort out child arrangements. You can tick the ‘yes’ box or the ‘no’ box. If you did not try mediation you must give the reasons why in the box provided.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR CHILD ARRANGEMENTS WITH MEDIATION HELP

• Part 6 on page 7 is asking you if the child(ren) mentioned in part 2 of this form are in any danger, risk or harm from domestic violence, abduction, abuse, or any other form of harm by any individual the child(ren) have had contact with. You will be asked to tick the ‘yes’ box or the ‘no’ box. If you tick the ‘yes’ box you will need to complete a form C1A. This is a supplementary information form.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C1A

• Part 7 on page 8 will ask you if you know of any court orders or cases (past and present) involving any of the children detailed in part 2 of this form. If there are, tick the ‘yes’ box and attach a copy of this court order. You can also give details in the boxes provided on the page. The details asked for are the names of child(ren), details of the court where the proceedings were held, case number, date of case, name of Cafcass officer and the type of proceedings it was. There is a list of court orders and proceedings to choose from. If the details provided in part 7 are different for each child then please write these details for each child on a separate piece of paper. If this is the case please tick the box which asks if you are attaching additional sheets.
• Part 8 on page 9 will ask you details about the respondents in this application. There is room for details of 2 respondents however if there are more then please write the details asked on separate pieces of paper and attach them to your form C66. The details being asked about the respondent are the first name, middle name, surname, previous names, date of birth, gender, place of birth, address and if they have lived at this address for more than 5 years. If they have not you will be asked to write the addresses they have lived at in the box provided. You will then be asked to write down the relationship of the respondent to the child(ren) concerned.
• Part 9 of page 11 is asking you to sign and date a statement of truth.
• Part 10 on page 11 will ask you questions about attending court. 
  • Do you or anybody else need an interpreter
  • Do you or anybody else attending court need special facilities or assistance for a disability?
  • Do you need any special arrangements such as a separate waiting room or other enhanced security provisions?
• Part 11 on page 12 will ask you to attach a copy of one of the following documents for each child. You must tick one of the following boxes.
  • A certified copy of the full birth certificate detailing who the birth parents are. A full birth certificate is one which details the first names, surname, date of birth, sex, place of birth, parents’ names, their addresses and their occupation.
  • A certified copy of the entry in the adopted children’s register
  • The court will give directions at the first hearing as to what proof should be provided of the child’s birth. 

Where an application is urgent the court will consider issuing proceedings without the certified copies of the birth certificate or proof of entry in the adopted children’s register. You must write the date when you will provide these in the box provided.

• At the end of page 12 there are notes for the respondent(s).
  • The court will send a copy of the application form, a C6 notice of proceedings and other documents to all parties in this case. The name of the court will be written on the C6 notice of proceedings
  • The respondent(s) within 14 days of receiving a copy of this application form/C6 notice of proceedings and or other documents must send to the court a notice stating their address and the whereabouts of the child(ren).
  • The respondent must service the notice to the applicant as well unless the court says they should not. 
  • If address details change or where about details of the child then the respondent must immediately notify the court and the applicant. 
• The address of the high court is – Family division of the high court,1st Mezzanine, Queens Building, Royal Courts Of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL. 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND FORM C66/DOWNLOAD THIS FORM?

Please click on the link below to access form C66 from the government website. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM C66

WHEN WAS FORM C66 FIRST PUBLISHED AND LAST UPDATED?

Form C66 was first published by the government (HM Courts & Tribunals Service) on 01-06-2016 and it was last updated on 21-12-2020