Going to court about arrangements for a child
Guides and forms for parents and carers in England and Wales who are applying to the family court, or responding to an application, about where a child lives or spends time, without a solicitor.
Time and cost at a glance
| Step | On your own | With Wren | Solicitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working out where to start | Several evenings of reading | About 15 minutes | £250 to £4901 to 2 hours |
| A long form, such as Form E or the C100 | Several days | A couple of hours | £1,480 to £2,4706 to 10 hours |
| Getting ready for a hearing | Several days | A couple of hours | £740 to £1,4803 to 6 hours |
| A position statement | A day or two | About an hour | £490 to £9902 to 4 hours |
| A witness statement | A week or more of evenings | A couple of hours | £1,240 to £2,4705 to 10 hours |
Times and hours are Wren’s estimates for a typical case, not quotes. Solicitor costs are those hours at £247 an hour, the courts’ guideline rate for a solicitor with over four years’ experience, outside London (GOV.UK, Solicitors' guideline hourly rates (in effect from 1 January 2026)). The guideline runs from £200 to £295 an hour outside London depending on experience, firms set their own rates, and VAT is added on top.
Step by step, and how Wren helps
Open a step for what the court needs and the full guide.
Parenting plans: writing down arrangements for your children
Wren takes you through a parenting plan topic by topic and gives it to you as a Word draft to finish in your own words.What the court needs
A parenting plan is a written record of the arrangements separated parents agree for their children. It is not legally binding on its own. If you both want it to be binding, you can ask the court to approve a consent order.
Drafts Wren gives you
- Parenting plan, as a Word draft to finish in your own words
What is a MIAM and do you need one before applying to court about a child?
Wren explains when a MIAM is needed and what the exemptions are, and the C100 questions record what applies to you.What the court needs
A MIAM is a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting with an authorised family mediator. The rules say you must usually attend one before you apply to court about a child, unless an exemption applies.
How to respond to a C100 application about a child
Wren asks the form’s questions in plain English, one at a time, and fills in the official form from your answers for you to check, sign and send.What the court needs
If you are named as a respondent in a C100 application, the court sends you the application and Form C7. You send the C7, and Form C1A if relevant, to the court within 14 days.
Cafcass safeguarding checks and the safeguarding letter: what to expect
Wren explains what Cafcass usually asks and when, and keeps the safeguarding letter with your case papers.What the court needs
After a C100 is issued, Cafcass runs police and local authority checks and usually phones each party. It reports the results to the court in a safeguarding letter before the first hearing.
What happens at a FHDRA (first hearing dispute resolution appointment)
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
The FHDRA is usually the first court hearing after a C100 application about a child. The judge looks at safety, what you agree and disagree on, and decides what happens next.
What is a section 7 report in a child arrangements case?
Wren explains what the report covers and keeps it with your case papers, ready for the next hearing.What the court needs
A section 7 report is a welfare report about a child, ordered by the court under section 7 of the Children Act 1989. It is usually written by a Cafcass family court adviser, or sometimes the local authority.
Courses, tests and contact centres the court can direct in a children case
Wren turns what the court orders into dated steps, so you can see what has to be done and by when.What the court needs
In a children case the court can direct parents to take part in a course, a test or contact at a contact centre. This guide explains what each one involves, who arranges and pays for it, and what happens if you do not take part.
What happens at a dispute resolution appointment (DRA)?
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
A DRA is a hearing listed after a report or a parenting programme. It aims to resolve or narrow the issues. If issues remain, the judge sets directions and lists the final hearing.
What happens at a final hearing in a child arrangements case?
Wren’s hearing guide says what happens, what to prepare and what to bring, with a checklist kept on your case.What the court needs
At a final hearing the court hears evidence and decides any issues you have not agreed about your child. The child's welfare is the court's paramount consideration.
After a child arrangements order: following, changing or enforcing it
Wren turns what the court orders into dated steps, so you can see what has to be done and by when.What the court needs
A child arrangements order is legally binding and everyone named in it must follow it. It can be changed by a new agreement made into a consent order, by a court application, or enforced if it is broken.
How to write a position statement for a family court hearing
Wren takes you through each heading the court expects, with made-up examples, and you write it in your own words.What the court needs
A position statement is a short document that tells the judge your position for a particular hearing and what order you are asking for. It is not evidence, has strict page limits, and a fresh one is written for each hearing.
How to write a witness statement for the family court
Wren sets out the layout, numbered paragraphs and statement of truth the court expects, with made-up examples. Every word stays yours.What the court needs
A witness statement is your written evidence, in your own words, signed with a statement of truth. In family courts it follows Part 22 and Practice Direction 22A, and it usually stands as your evidence at a final hearing.
How to prepare a court bundle for a family court hearing
Mark the papers you need and Wren builds one page-numbered PDF bundle with an index you can tap and a count against the page limit.What the court needs
A court bundle is the indexed, page-numbered set of documents the judge reads before a hearing. The applicant usually prepares it, and it must reach the court and other parties at least 5 working days before the hearing.
How to get help paying family court fees (Help with Fees and EX160)
Wren asks the Help with Fees questions in plain English and fills in Form EX160 from your answers, if you apply on paper.What the court needs
Help with Fees can reduce or cover a family court fee. It depends on your savings, your benefits and your income. You apply online or on Form EX160 at the same time as your court application.
Not sure where you are?
- Where are you in your family case?
Six quick questions, then see what usually happens next and what to get ready. - Which family court forms do you need?
Answer up to six quick questions and see your list of forms, with what each one is for. - Are you ready for your hearing?
Check what to prepare for your next family court hearing, in under two minutes.
The forms
- C100Apply to court about arrangements for a child
- C1ATell the court about domestic abuse or risk of harm
- C8Keep your contact details private from the other side
- C7Respond to a court application about a child
- FM5Tell the court your views on mediation and other options
- C2Ask the court for something in an existing children case
- C120Witness statement template for child arrangements
- C9Tell the court how you served documents
- C1Apply for other Children Act orders
- C78Add a warning notice to an older child arrangements order
- C79Apply to enforce a child arrangements order
- C3Ask the court to have a child found and handed over
- C4Ask the court to find out where a child is
- FP161Appeal to the Family Division of the High Court
- FP162Respond to an appeal in the Family Division of the High Court
- FC600Contempt application in the family court
- FP2General application notice in family proceedings (Part 18)
- FP8Tell the court and the other party that your solicitor has changed or stopped acting
- C13AApply to be a child's special guardian (supplement to C1)
- C63Ask the court to declare who a person's parent is
- A58Apply to adopt a child, including a stepchild
- LOC022Change a child's name by enrolled deed poll (the deed)
- FP25Summon a witness to attend court or bring documents
- EX107Order a transcript of a court hearing
- EX105Ask for an appeal transcript to be paid at public expense
- FL401Apply for protection from domestic abuse
- EX160Ask for help paying a court fee
Get organised with Wren Family
You still run your own case, with help at every step. Wren Family turns long official forms into short, plain-English questions, guides you through each hearing, helps you write statements in your own words, and keeps your dates, papers and orders in one place. Nothing is sent to the court for you.
Get startedFree for 14 days, no card. Then £19.99 a month, with your money back within 14 days if it’s not right.