WHAT IS FORM C13A USED FOR?

Form C13A is a supplementary form used to provide a statement of support for an application made to the family court for a special guardianship for a child. 

The form to make a special guardianship application is called form C1. Form C13A is sent to the court alongside form C1.

ARE THERE ANY GOVERNMENT OR OUR OWN L.I.P HELP GUIDES OR WRITE UPS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE FORM C13A?

There is a government guide called CB4 that can help you. Please click on the link below.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR GUIDE CB4

For background information you can read our webpage for special guardianship in our sister site I AM L.I.P Education and child matters.

WHAT IS THE FEE TO SEND FORM C13A TO THE COURT AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT?

As stated above form C13A is sent to the court alongside form C1 which is the form used to make an application for special guardianship. There is no fee to send form C13A to the court. However, there is a fee to send form C1

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM C1

HOW TO COMPLETE FORM C13A AND WHERE TO SEND IT

• NOTE 1 – If you are completing and sending form C13A to the court then you are known as the applicant or petitioner. Anybody else who has parental responsibility, who had parental responsibility before a care order was made and any court appointed guardian is the respondent in this application. 
• NOTE 2 – You can complete form C13A online and then print a hard copy. Alternatively you can download it, print it and then complete it by black pen. 
• NOTE  3 – If you find there is not enough space to complete your answers on your form C13A then please use additional sheets of paper to continue and attach them to your supplementary form. Please write your name, address and question number on the top of your additional sheets of paper. 
• NOTE 4 – Please send at least 3-4 copies of form C13A and any attachments to the court. The court will distribute these copies accordingly. One copy is required for the court and one for each party/respondents in the proceedings.
• NOTE 5 – The words to ‘to file at court‘ means submitting a court application form, evidence, statements or any other document to the court. This can be done by post, email or in person. If you are posting something to the court please send it by ‘signed for recorded delivery’ so you have proof you sent it in case the court loses your documents. If you are submitting in person either get a receipt from the court or if like my local family court you find your local family court has a drop in box then please record yourself dropping your envelope into the box. Again this is proof you sent it.
• NOTE 6 – Please keep a copy of your form C13A and any attachments for yourself outside of the ones you send to the family court.
• Form C13A is 2 pages long. 
• On page 1 in the first box asks you to write down the full name of the child(ren) involved in the application.
• Part 1 on page 1 asks you to state your relationship to the child(ren) in the space provided. The form gives a list of relationships and you must choose one.
  1. You are the guardian of the child
  2. You are the individual who has an existing child arrangements court order for the child at present stating they must live with you.
  3. You are the individual the child has lived with for 3 of the last 5 years.
  4. You are the individual who has a child arrangements order for the child but you also have the consent of every other individual named in the child arrangements order to make this application
  5. You are the individual who has the consent of the local authority if the child is in care to make this application.
  6. You are the individual who has the consent of the person with parental responsibility for the child to make this application
  7. You are a local authority foster carer or relative with whom the child has lived with for the last 1 year.
  8. You are the individual asking the courts permission to make an application for special guardianship. 
  9. You are the individual whom the court has already given permission to apply for a special guardianship. If this is the case you will need to attach a copy of the court order if you have it or write down the date of when it was issued and the court that issued it. 
• Part 2 on page 1 asks for you to write down in the space provided the name of the local authority where the child is in care if this application concerns this child. If not please write down the name of your local authority. You must also write down the date when you informed them that you are going to make an application for a special guardianship. If it has been less than 3 months since informing your local authority then write down in the space provided if an application has been made to adopt the child, to which court it has been made and the court case number.
• Part 3 on page 2 asks you to detail your reasons for making this application for special guardianship. You must also detail any requests you have made to your local authority for special guardianship support services.
• Part 4 on page 2 will ask you to:
  1. Detail any existing and future if they are not already in place arrangements for the child to have contact with their relatives, parents and individuals with parental responsibility. 
  2. The form is also asking you to detail any existing child arrangements, prohibited steps order or specific issues order that you would like the court to amend or discharge.
  3. To detail any conditions you are asking the court to impose.
• At the end of page 2 you will be asked to sign and date the form.
• As already stated above this form C13A is sent alongside form C1. However many copies of form C1 you will send to the court to distribute you will need to send the same number of copies of form C13A. Outside of this depending upon the particulars of your case the court may require you to send copies of your forms to others who need to be informed. This process is also called to serve your ex-partner or the other party.‘ It means they must receive the relevant applications/court papers that require them to be informed, respond, comply with directions or attend court. 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND FORM C13A/DOWNLOAD THIS FORM?

Please click on the link below to access form C13A from the government website. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM C13A

WHEN WAS FORM C13A FIRST PUBLISHED AND LAST UPDATED?

Form C13A was first published by the government (HM Courts & Tribunals Service) on 01-04-2014 and it was last updated on 25-02-2021