C1A form: tell the court about domestic abuse or risk of harm
Form C1A is a supplementary form that tells the family court about domestic abuse, abduction risk or other harm to you or a child. It is not an application on its own and must be sent with the main application or response form.
Fill in the C1A form with Wren
How Wren helps with the C1A
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.
- Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the C1A becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
- Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
- The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official C1A. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
- 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 C1A 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
- Form C1A: Provide supplemental information when making or responding to allegations of harm and domestic violence
- Edition
- 06.26 (14 pages on GOV.UK). A bilingual Welsh and English version is also published.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Sent with
- Form C100 or C1 if you are the applicant. Form C7 if you are the respondent.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Respondent's time limit
- A respondent sends C7 and any C1A to the court within 14 days of receiving the application.Source: PD12B para 8.11 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Who sees it
- The court serves a copy of the applicant's C1A on the respondent. Cafcass also receives it for safety checks.Source: PD12B para 8.8 (external source, opens in a new tab); PD12B paras 8.9-8.10, 22.2A (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Keeping details private
- Leave your contact details off and use form C8 if you do not want them shared.Source: rule 29.1(2) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- In an emergency
- If you or a child are in immediate danger, call 999. The form also lists the National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the C1A
An applicant who answers yes to any harm question on form C100 or C1. A respondent who believes a child has suffered or is at risk of harm, or who wants to respond to allegations made against them.
When it is used
At the start of a children case. The applicant sends it with the C100 or C1, and a respondent sends it back with form C7.
Before you start
- Copies of any protective orders you have or had, such as a non-molestation or occupation order. The form asks you to attach them.
- Approximate dates for the incidents you want to describe. Exact dates are not required.
- Who you went to for help, such as the police, a GP or social services, and what they did.
- If abduction is a worry: where the children are now and who holds their passports.
- Any written evidence you can provide now to support what you describe.
- A decision on whether you need form C8 to keep your address private.
How to fill in the C1A
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.
Section 1: about you
You give your name, say whether you are the applicant or respondent, and list the children. The form asks whether you have completed form C8. If your contact details must stay private, leave them blank and use C8.
Section 2: details of domestic abuse
You tick the kinds of abuse experienced by you or the children, such as physical, emotional or financial. You list any protective orders. A table then has space for up to five short entries about what happened and who you asked for help.
Keep the table brief
The form asks for a short description, not a full statement. You can describe a repeated pattern of behaviour in one entry. There will be later chances to give a detailed statement if the court directs one.
Section 3: abduction
Only complete this if you believe the children may be abducted. It asks why, about any past threats or attempts, where the children are, and who holds their passports.
Sections 4 and 5: other concerns and protective steps
You can raise other worries about the children's safety. You then say what steps or orders you want the court to consider. You also say whether you agree to the children spending supervised or unsupervised time, or other contact, with the other person.
Sections 6 and 7: statement of truth and attending court
You sign a statement of truth. You can ask for arrangements at court, such as separate waiting rooms, separate entrances, screens or a video link. The court tries to meet these needs, depending on its facilities.
Response section
The last part is for the person who receives the form. It is optional. They can comment briefly on each entry in the table and add other comments.
Prepare your C1A 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 startedFree 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
Cafcass, or Cafcass Cymru, considers the C1A in its safety checks and tells the court which forms it read. At the first hearing the court considers whether a fact-finding hearing is needed about disputed allegations. Where domestic abuse is raised, the court must not expect parties to use dispute resolution that is unsafe. It must also consider protective arrangements for attending court.
Common mistakes
- Writing a long statement instead of the short summary the form asks for.
- Putting a confidential address in the form or in an attached document.
- Forgetting to attach copies of protective orders listed in Section 2.
- Sending the C1A without the main application or the C7, which it must go with.
Common questions
Do I have to fill in a C1A?
If you answer yes to any harm question on form C100, the C100 says you must complete C1A. On form C7, the respondent must complete one if they answer yes to the harm question.
Will the other person see my C1A?
Yes. The court serves a copy on the respondent with the application. Keep your address and contact details off it and use form C8 if they need to stay private.
How do I respond to allegations in a C1A?
The form has a response section for the person who receives it. GOV.UK also says you can fill in your own C1A and send it back with form C7.
Do I need evidence to send with a C1A?
The checklist asks for copies of any protective orders and any other written evidence you can provide at this stage. You may be asked for a fuller statement later.
Will I be expected to go to mediation if I report abuse?
The Child Arrangements Programme says victims of domestic abuse are not expected to mediate or take part in other non-court dispute resolution.
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.
- GOV.UK: Form C1A (external source, opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Form C7 (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 12B: Child Arrangements Programme (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Practice Direction 12J: domestic abuse and harm (external source, opens in a new tab)
- FPR 2010 Part 29 (confidential contact details) (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Pinned template C1A (06.26) (external source, opens in a new tab)