C1A Form: Allegations of Harm in a Child Arrangements Order Application

When You Need to File Form C1A

Form C1A is a supplementary form that must be filed alongside your C100 application whenever there are allegations of harm. This includes domestic abuse (physical, emotional, financial, or coercive control), child abuse or neglect, substance misuse by a parent that puts the child at risk, or a credible threat that the child may be abducted or removed from the country.

If any of these situations apply to the child's case — even if the abuse is historical — you are required to declare them. Failing to raise safeguarding concerns at the application stage can delay the case later when they surface during Cafcass checks or court hearings.

What Form C1A Asks For

The form asks you to describe:

• The type of harm alleged — physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, domestic abuse, or risk of abduction
• Who the allegation is against — which respondent or other person
• What happened — specific incidents, dates, locations, and any witnesses
• The impact on the child — how the child was affected, whether the child was present, and whether the child has disclosed anything
• What evidence supports the allegation — police incident numbers, caution or conviction records, protective injunctions, medical reports, social services involvement, or letters from domestic abuse support services

Be specific. Vague statements like "there was abuse in the relationship" do not help the court. Concrete details — dates, what was said or done, what the child saw, whether police were called — allow the judge and Cafcass to assess the seriousness and credibility of the concerns.

How the Court Uses C1A Allegations

The judge reads your C1A before the first hearing. Cafcass also receives it and factors the allegations into their safeguarding checks and telephone interviews.

If the allegations are admitted or undisputed, the court takes them into account when deciding what arrangements are safe for the child. If the allegations are contested — the other party denies them — the court may schedule a fact-finding hearing before moving to the substantive question of where the child should live.

A fact-finding hearing is a separate hearing where the judge hears evidence, considers witness testimony, and makes findings about whether specific events occurred. Only after the facts are established does the court proceed to assess what arrangement serves the child's best interests.

Allegations in Kinship Cases

Grandparents and relatives often file C1A when a parent's behaviour is the reason the child is in their care. Common situations include:

• A parent's drug or alcohol addiction making the home unsafe
• Domestic abuse between the parents that the child witnessed
• Neglect that prompted the relative to step in
• A parent with untreated mental health difficulties who poses a risk

You are not "taking sides" by filing a C1A. You are fulfilling a legal obligation to disclose safety concerns so the court can protect the child. The judge assesses each allegation on its evidence — declarations on C1A do not automatically mean the court will accept them as proved.

MIAM Exemptions and C1A

If you have evidence of domestic abuse, you may also qualify for a MIAM exemption — meaning you can skip the Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before filing. Acceptable evidence includes a police caution or conviction, a protective injunction, a letter from a domestic abuse support service, or medical evidence of abuse-related injuries. You self-certify the exemption on the C100 and attach the supporting evidence.

What to Do If You Are Unsure

If you are not certain whether something qualifies as an allegation of harm, describe the concern factually and distinguish what you know from what you suspect. The court assesses allegations on the evidence; a C1A does not itself prove them.

If the child has been subject to a child protection plan or active Section 47 enquiries by children's services, mention this on the C1A and in the relevant section of the C100.

Our Child Arrangements Order Process Guide walks through the full application package — C100, C1A, C8, and fee remission — with checklists for each form and guidance on organising your evidence.

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