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C120 form: witness statement template for child arrangements

Form C120 is a witness statement template for a parental dispute about child arrangements. It sets out 21 questions that give the judge the background to the case.

Fill in the C120 form with Wren

How Wren helps with the C120

Official forms are written for lawyers. With Wren you do not have to decode this one on your own, and you still follow the court’s procedure.

  1. Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the C120 becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
  2. Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
  3. The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official C120. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
  4. What comes next, kept with your caseWhat usually happens after you send it, with the dates worked out from the published rules.

Time and money

On your own
A day or more
With Wren
About an hour for most forms
Solicitor for this form
£740 to £1,2403 to 5 hours

A solicitor’s time for the C120 can run to £1,240. With Wren it is part of £19.99 a month, and it takes about an hour for most forms rather than a day or more.

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.

Key facts

Official title
Witness Statement template: Child arrangements - Parental dispute: Form C120
Who sees it
The form says each parent's answers are disclosed to the other parent or party.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
When to file
No evidence is filed until after the first hearing. Follow the court's directions on statements.Source: PD12B para 17.1 (external source, opens in a new tab)
Extra documents
The rules say a party must not file or serve documents except as the rules or a court direction require.Source: FPR 12.19(1)-(2)(a) (external source, opens in a new tab)
Signing
It ends with a statement of truth that you sign and date.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)

Who uses the C120

A parent, or another party, in a child arrangements case. Each parent's answers are shared with the other parent or party.

When it is used

Usually after the first hearing, when the court gives directions for statements. The rules say no evidence is filed until after the first hearing.

Before you start

  • The court order or directions that tell you to file a statement, and the deadline.
  • The children's full names, dates of birth and who they live with.
  • Key dates: when you lived together and when you separated.
  • Details of the children's school, routines, activities and any health needs.
  • A clear view of the arrangements you are asking the court for, and why.

How to fill in the C120

Open each part for what it asks and how to answer it. In Wren, each part is a few plain questions, and your answers fill in the form.

Page 1: you and the children

You give your name and list each child with their date of birth and who they live with. Question 1 asks about medical problems.

Questions 2 to 6: background and routines

These ask about your relationship, the separation, childcare before the case, the weekly routine, and your working hours.

Questions 7 to 13: homes, travel, school and the children

You describe each home and sleeping arrangements, the distance and travel time between homes, and school travel. You also describe activities, each child's personality and any concerns about schooling.

Questions 14 to 18: relationships and concerns

You describe the children's relationship with the other parent and how they are coping. You set out what you want the court to order and why. You also give any worries about parenting and any social services or police involvement.

Questions 19 to 21: agreement and other information

You say what you have done to reach agreement. Do not include what was said in mediation, as the form asks. Then add anything else relevant and sign the statement of truth.

Prepare your C120 with Wren Family

Wren Family turns official forms into short, plain-English questions you can answer at your own pace. You check everything before you send it: nothing goes to the court for you.

Get started

Free for 14 days, no card. Then £19.99 a month, with your money back within 14 days if it’s not right.

What happens after you send it

The judge reads the statement to understand the background before deciding the case. The other parent or party receives a copy. If you have raised allegations of abuse, the court may decide a fact-finding hearing is needed. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Common mistakes

  • Filing the C120 before the court has asked for statements.
  • Including what was said in mediation, which the form asks you not to do.
  • Leaving questions blank instead of saying a question does not apply, as the form asks.
  • Including a confidential address. Each parent's answers are shared with the other side.
  • Using an AI chatbot to write the statement. Practice Direction 22A expects your own words, and the judiciary's AI guidance warns that chatbots can make up facts, cases and quotes; you sign the statement of truth yourself.

Common questions

When do I fill in form C120?

When the court directs you to file a statement. The rules say no evidence is filed until after the first hearing.

Will the other parent see my C120?

Yes. The form says each parent's responses are disclosed to the other parent or party.

What if a question does not apply to me?

The form asks you to say so on the form rather than leave it out.

Where these facts come from

These are the official rules and pages this page is based on. They are listed so you can check a detail for yourself; you do not need them to use Wren. They are outside Wren and open in a new tab.

Last checked against its sources on . How we check our pages.

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