How to Fill Out Form C2: Application in Existing Family Court Proceedings

To fill out Form C2, enter the existing case number, list each child with full name and date of birth, describe the specific order or permission you want and why, sign the statement of truth, and file the form with a witness statement, the correct fee, and enough copies for the court, Cafcass, and every party.¹ The form itself is short. What makes or breaks the application is the case number, the wording of what you’re asking for, and the statement you attach behind it.

When a C2 Is the Right Form

Use a C2 when a family court is already dealing with a child’s case and you need something from it. Three situations cover almost every filing: asking for permission (leave) to make an application you cannot bring as of right, requesting a new order or fresh directions in proceedings you’re already in, and applying to be added to or removed from a case as a party.²

Grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and family friends typically need leave before they can apply for a section 8 order such as a child arrangements order.³ A parent who is already in proceedings and wants a specific issue order about schooling, a prohibited steps order to stop the other parent taking the child abroad, or a variation of an existing child arrangements order also uses the C2.⁴

What to Gather Before You Start

Have these to hand before opening the form:

The existing case number. Without it, the application cannot be attached to the right file.¹
Full legal name and date of birth for each child, oldest first.
Names and addresses for every applicant and respondent, matching exactly how they appear on the existing court file.
A short, precise description of what you want the court to order or permit, and the main reasons why. Draft this before you sit down with the form.

Read the guide to making an application (Form CB1) first. The GOV.UK page for the C2 links to it and to the current fee schedule.²

Completing the Form Section by Section

Download the C2 from GOV.UK or collect a paper copy from your local family court. The digital version can be saved as you go and printed once complete.

Case Details and Children

Put the existing case number at the top. List each child’s full name, date of birth, and the order you want in relation to them. If you are asking for permission rather than a specific order, say so plainly. For example: “Permission to apply for a child arrangements order (lives with).”¹

Applicant and Respondent Details

Enter full names and addresses for each applicant and respondent. If your safety would be at risk if the other party had your address, leave those boxes on the C2 blank and complete Form C8 to keep your contact details confidential.⁵ Check the spelling of every name against the existing court file. Mismatches slow processing.

Details of the Application

This is where the form does its real work. State the specific order or permission you are seeking, and set out the key facts that support it. Keep it tight. The full narrative belongs in your witness statement; the form only needs to give the judge enough to understand what the application is about in a few paragraphs.

Statement of Truth

Sign and date the declaration at the end. Contempt of court proceedings can be brought against anyone who makes a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth, so treat it seriously.⁶

What to Attach

A C2 filed on its own gives the judge very little. At a minimum, attach a witness statement explaining the background, addressing the relevant welfare factors, and setting out why what you are asking for is in the child’s best interests. A draft order with the exact wording you want the judge to approve helps the court and shows you have thought the practical details through.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need:

Form C1A if you are raising allegations of domestic abuse or harm to a child, or responding to such allegations.⁷
Form C8 to keep your contact details confidential.⁵
Form EX160 if you are applying for help with the court fee.

Exhibit any other supporting evidence (medical records, school reports, photographs, correspondence) to the witness statement rather than sending it loose.

Fee and Help With Fees

As of April 2025, a C2 application made on notice costs £190. Made by consent or without notice, it is £60. Fees change periodically, so check the current family court fee schedule on GOV.UK before you file.⁸

If your income and savings are low, or you receive certain benefits, you can apply for fee remission using Form EX160. Qualifying benefits include income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Universal Credit (where you earn less than £6,000 a year), and Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit).⁹ File the EX160 at the same time as the C2 so the court processes both together.¹⁰

Where to Send It and How Many Copies

Send or take the completed C2, the fee, and the copies to the family court that is handling the existing case. You need one copy for the court, one for Cafcass (or CAFCASS CYMRU in Wales), and one for each party or other person involved.¹ Count before you print. Two respondents means four copies in total: court, Cafcass, and one for each respondent.

You can file by post or deliver in person to the court office. Some courts accept email filing; check with your local family court first, because availability varies. Post works but is slower to reach a judge, which matters when the application is time-sensitive.

What Happens After You File

The court reviews the application and decides how to handle it. Routine C2s typically get a response within two to four weeks, though busy courts take longer. The judge will either list a hearing and send notice to all parties, or deal with the application on paper by issuing written directions.

Where the application is genuinely urgent and made without notice (for example, to stop a child being removed from the country), the court can list a hearing within days. The judge decides whether to grant the order and whether to fix a further hearing at which the other side can respond.

For applications on notice, the court arranges service on the respondents so they can reply within a set time. Service may be directed to you or your solicitor, or handled by the court. At the hearing, the judge considers your application, any written response, and oral submissions before deciding whether to grant or refuse what you have asked for. The order made then governs the next phase of the case.

1
GOV.UK. Form C2 Application/Report
2
GOV.UK. Make an Application in Existing Court Proceedings Relating to Children: Form C2
3
Legislation.gov.uk. Children Act 1989 – Section 10
4
Legislation.gov.uk. Children Act 1989 – Section 8
5
GOV.UK. Apply to Keep Your Contact Details Confidential: Form C8
6
Judiciary UK. Practice Direction 5B – Statements of Truth
7
GOV.UK. Form C1A: Provide Supplemental Information When Making or Responding to Allegations of Harm and Domestic Violence
8
GOV.UK. Fees in the Civil and Family Courts – Main Fees (EX50)
9
GOV.UK. Get Help Paying Court and Tribunal Fees
10
GOV.UK. Apply for Help With Court and Tribunal Fees: Form EX160