WHAT IS FORM C2 USED FOR?

Form C2 is used to make an application to ask for a court order or court directions WITHIN existing/already on-going family court proceedings relating to children. You can apply for the following using form C2 – 

• To ask the court permission to start court proceedings where permission is required. An example of this is when a grandparent would like to have contact with a grandchild or have them live with them. To do this a grandparent will need to ask the courts permission if they can submit an application for the court to consider contact or living arrangements. The form used to ask for permission is form C2 and the form used to apply for a contact or live with order is form C100. A grandparent should send both forms C2 and C100 together to the court.  
• To join a person to existing proceedings, as well as to leave existing proceedings.
• An order or directions in existing court proceedings such as –
  • • A parental responsibility order or an order terminating parental responsibility.
    • An order appointing or terminating a child’s guardian.
    • An order giving permission to change a child’s surname or remove a child from the United Kingdom. 
    • A special guardianship order, or an order varying or discharging such an order. 

Form C2 is NOT used to apply for section 8 orders. The form used for section 8 orders is form C100.

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

ARE THERE ANY GOVERNMENT OR OUR OWN L.I.P HELP GUIDES OR WRITE UPS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE FORM C2?

There are no specific government guides for this form. However, you can read the government guide CB1 – ‘making an application to the Children and the Family Courts’. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT GUIDE CB1

WHAT IS THE FEE TO SEND FORM C2 TO THE COURT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT?

The fee to send form C2 to the court is £167.00

The fee to send form C2 to the court if you are asking for permission is £0.00. For any other matter it is £167.00.

Please click on the link below to government guide EX50 page 15 for family court fees.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT GUIDE EX50 FOR FAMILY COURT FEES

• Please attach a cheque or postal order made payable to HM Courts & Tribunal Service.
• If you are on certain benefits or on a low income you can apply to the court to have your fees paid for you. The form you need is called form EX160. You can complete and submit the form online or download a hardcopy from the government website. You will need to attach proof of your benefits, your income, and/or 3 months bank statements. The government website also has the EX160A guidance notes which you can download and read to help you complete form EX160. You can send the completed form EX160 with all attachments along with your completed form C2 for the court to consider. Or you could have sent your completed form EX160 to the court in advance and received a ‘help with fees’ reference number starting with HWF to put on the top right hand corner of the front page of the form you are asking help with, in this case, form C2.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM EX160 (Here, you can access both form EX160 & EX160A guidance notes)  

HOW TO COMPLETE FORM C2 AND WHERE TO SEND IT. 

• NOTE 1 – If you are completing and sending this form in then you are known as the petitioner or applicant. Your ex-partner is known as the respondent.
• NOTE 2 – 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  3- 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 4 – Please send at least 3-4 copies of form C2, any evidence and any other forms to the court. The court will distribute the copies accordingly. One copy is required for the court, one for Cafcass and one for each party in the proceedings.
• NOTE 5 – Please keep a copy of your form C2, all evidence, sheets and forms for yourself outside of the ones you send to the family court.
• Form C2 is 8 pages long.
• If you are using form C2 to make an application for the following court orders listed below then you will need to complete form FM1 and send it with your form C2. The court requires you attend mediation first before you send form C2 to the court. By ticking the relevant box in part 1 (1a, 1b, 1c or 1d) of your form FM1, you are telling the court that either you are exempt from attending mediation, in which case you must complete parts 2 and 3 of form FM1, or if you have tried mediation and it has not been successful. In this case, your mediator must complete and sign part 4 of your form FM1.
  • • A parental responsibility order or an order terminating parental responsibility.
    • An order appointing or terminating a child’s guardian.
    • An order giving permission to change a child’s surname or remove a child from the United Kingdom. 
    • A special guardianship order, or an order varying or discharging such an order.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM FM1

• Just underneath is a statement you will be required to read. It is two paragraphs long. The paragraphs are about the questioning of a victim of domestic violence or a witness by the alleged perpetrator or the questioning of an alleged perpetrator by the victim. If your case involves domestic violence and your court hearing is one where you or your ex-partner will give oral evidence then the court may send forms EX740 (the party making the abuse allegation) and EX741 (the party accused of abuse) to you and/or your ex-partner along with the court order informing you of the date of the oral hearing. You and/or your ex-partner will need to complete forms EX740 and EX741 and return them to the court. Once the court has one or both of these forms then the court can consider whether to prevent the questioning or cross-examination in person of either party by each other. You can also make this application to the court by yourself if you DO NOT wish to be cross-examined by the perpetrator or the accuser.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM EX740

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM EX741

• If you are using form C2 to ask for permission to issue an application, for example if you are a grandparent, then you will need to send in a copy of the original form C100 along with your form C2. If there are any allegations of or responses to domestic violence then the form C1A will also need to be completed and sent alongside form C100 and C2. If there were any documents attached to form C100 these must be sent also.

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

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C1A

• Part 1 of form C2 will ask your name, the respondents name, whether you are applying for permission to submit an application and start proceedings or if you are making an application in existing proceedings. You will also be asked to give detail of the children involved.
• Part 2 will ask for your personal details. If you want to keep yours and your children’s contact details confidential from your ex-partner, please do not write down yours or your children’s contact details in part 2. Please complete form C8 and send it with your form C2. You must make sure that all forms, evidence, or reports you send to the court from now on do not contain your contact details. The court staff will not do this for you. Once you have completed form C8, the court and Cafcass will not release your contact details to anyone without a court order. 

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

• Part 3 will ask you to give details of the respondent(s).
• Part 4 will ask you details of any other person who feel should be notified of your application. This person can be a carer for example.
• Part 5 will ask for your solicitor details if you have one acting for you.
• Part 6 will ask you to detail and give reasons for the application you are making. In note 3 above we have advise that you can continue your answer on a separate piece of paper and attach it to your form C2. However, when it comes to form C2 you can continue on form C120 which is a witness statement template. You can attach evidence to your form C120.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C120

• Part 7 will ask you whether you need an interpreter, if you have a disability and need special assistance or special facilities when attending court or need other special arrangements such as a separate waiting room or a screen. 
• Part 8 will ask you to sign a statement of truth.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND FORM C2/DOWNLOAD THIS FORM?

Please click on the link below to download form C2 from the government website. Please complete and send by post (signed for recorded delivery).

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM C2

WHEN WAS FORM C2 FIRST PUBLISHED AND LAST UPDATED?

Form C2 was first published by the government (HM Courts & Tribunals Service) on 01-06-2016 and it was last updated on 28-03-2023.