WHAT IS FORM C1A USED FOR?

Form C1A is a supplemental form used for the following – 

• By you or your ex-partner to write down details of the domestic violence and abuse you and/or your children are/have suffered. In this case form C1A will be sent to the family court alongside form C100. Form C100 is the form used to start court proceedings for a child arrangements court order. The ex-partner who completes and sends in form C100 to the court is known as the applicant. The other ex-partner is known as the respondent.
• By the respondent to respond to allegations of domestic violence and abuse made by the applicant. The court will send the respondent a copy of form C1A sent in by the applicant. The applicant can also send a copy of their form C1A to the respondent but they are advised not to. Once the respondent receives this form C1A, they can if they choose to complete and sign page 9 to reply to the allegations made on the previous pages. If the applicant has not completed and sent in form C1A then the respondent must complete a new form C1A if they answer ‘yes’ to question 7 on form C7. Form C7 is the form used to respond to your ex-partners form C100 application for a child arrangements court order. The respondent must send their form C1A to the family court alongside form C7.

You can use form C1A to detail any other forms of harm within the family. You can inform the court of any family history of domestic violence and whether you and/or the children are at risk of or are still suffering from domestic violence.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C100

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C7

ARE THERE ANY GOVERNMENT OR OUR OWN L.I.P HELP GUIDES AND WRITE UPS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE FORM C1A?

No, there are no specific government guides for this form at present. However, you can read the government guide CB1 – ‘making an application – children and family courts’. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT GUIDE CB1

You can also read our L.I.P Help Guide ‘A step by step account of the whole court process of child arrangements including making the initial child arrangement application and responding to an application’. 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR A BASIC STEP BY STEP ACCOUNT OF THE WHOLE COURT PROCESS OF CHILD ARRANGEMENTS INCLUDING MAKING THE INITIAL CHILD ARRANGEMENTS APPLICATION AND RESPONDING TO AN APPLICATION

Pages 10 & 11 on form C1A have guidance notes to help you complete the form.

WHAT IS THE FEE TO SEND FORM C1A TO THE COURT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT?

There is no fee to send this supplemental form to the court.

HOW TO COMPLETE FORM C1A AND WHERE TO SEND IT.

• NOTE 1 – You can complete this form online and then print a hard copy. Alternatively you can download it, print it and then complete by black pen. 
• NOTE  2 –  If you find there is not enough space to complete your answers on your form then please use additional sheets of paper to continue on and attach them to your form. Please write your name, address, case number and question number on the top of your additional sheets of paper. 
• NOTE 3 – Send 3-4 copies of your completed form C1A to the court alongside 3-4 copies of your form C100 or C7. The court will distribute accordingly. They will keep one themselves, send a court stamped copy to the ex-partner and a court stamped copy to yourself. They will also need to give a copy to Cafcass if hey are involved.
• NOTE 4 – Please keep a copy of all evidence, sheets and forms for yourself outside of the ones you send to the family court.
• Form C1A is 12 pages long.
• Form C1A is sent alongside the relevant application form, such as form C100.
• Section 1 will ask you to input your personal details and ask if you are the applicant or respondent. 
• Section 1 will then ask if you have completed a C8 form which is the form used to keep yours and your children’s contact details confidential. Please do not complete your contact details on form C1A if you are completing form C8.
• Section 1 will then ask you to give details of the children involved and details of your solicitor if you have one acting for you.
• Section 2 will ask about details on the domestic violence and abuse you and/or the children have experienced. Firstly you will be asked about the type of abuse you and/or your children have suffered (physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and/or financial). You must tick the relevant box.
• Then you will be asked to give details about previous court orders (date issued, length of court order, whether it is current and name of the court that issued the court order). Form C1A lists 6 different court orders to give details about. Attach copies of these court orders to form C1A.
• On the next page you will be asked to give a short description of the abuse. The chart has space for you to details 5 incidents. The questions you will be asked are a) When did the behaviour start and how long did it continue b) The nature of the behaviour and what happened c) If you sought help and from whom d) Did they do anything and if yes what did they do?
• Please note as state above if you need to complete your answers on a separate sheet of paper if the space provided on the form is not enough you must put your full name, and date of birth on the sheet and attach it to form C1A. If you have any evidence to support your abuse please attach it to form C1A.
• Section 3 will ask you about whether you think your child could be abducted. Complete as appropriate.
• Section 4 will ask you to detail other concerns that you may have about your children’s safety and their wellbeing.
• Section 5 you will ask you to write down any court orders you wish the court to consider making. Please read our L.I.P Help Guide ‘Different Types Of Child Arrangement Court Orders Explained’ by clicking on the link below. 
• Section 6 will ask you to sign the form.
• Section 7 will give you a list of special arrangements the court can make for you when you attend court. They are a) separate waiting rooms, separate exits and entrance c) screens d) video links e) separate toilets f) advance viewing of the court g) interpreter h) a disability for which you require special assistance or special facilities i) a sign language signer.  You must tick the relevant box. 
• As stated above if you are the respondent and you have been sent/served your ex-partners completed form C1A by the court or by the applicant you can reply to the allegations made on the previous pages by completing page 9. If there is not enough space please continue on a separate sheet of paper. Please put your full name, date of birth and case number at the top of this sheet and attach it to form C1A. The respondent will be asked to sign the form on page 9. If the applicant has not completed and sent in form C1A then the respondent will have to complete a new form C1A if they answer ‘yes’ to question 7 on their form C7. The respondent must return their form C1A to the court alongside their form C7 (the form used to respond to an application for court proceedings for child arrangements). 

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

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE & VIOLENCE

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR CHILD ARRANGEMENT TERMS & COURT ORDERS EXPLAINED

WHERE CAN YOU FIND FORM C1A/DOWNLOAD THIS FORM?

Please click on the link below to download form C1A from the government website. Please complete and send by post (signed for recorded delivery).

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM C1A

WHEN WAS FORM C1A FIRST PUBLISHED AND LAST UPDATED?

Form C1A was first published by the government (HM Courts & Tribunals Service) on 01-01-2016 and it was last updated on 21-12-2020