Until the Child Focused Model reaches every area (Post 2), most cases in England outside the pilot regions follow the Child Arrangements Programme. This is the process that has been in place since 2014. Here is each stage, in the order it usually happens.
Before you apply: the MIAM
A MIAMA MIAM is a first meeting with a trained mediator, on your own, to talk about whether mediation could help sort things out without a court hearing. Most people have to attend one before applying to court, unless an exemption applies. is a mediation information and assessment meeting. It is a meeting with a trained mediator to explain what mediation is and whether it could help. In most cases you must attend one before applying to court, unless an exemption applies (for example where there has been domestic abuse, or the application is urgent). The mediator signs your form to confirm you attended.
The application: C100
The C100A C100 is the form you fill in to ask the family court to make a decision about arrangements for a child. Once the court issues it, your case has a number and a first hearing is normally listed. is the form used to ask the court for an order about a child. The main orders are a child arrangements order (who the child lives with and spends time with), a prohibited steps order (stopping a specific thing, such as removing the child from the country), and a specific issue order (deciding a specific question, such as which school). If you are raising concerns about harm, a separate form, the C1A, goes with it. There is a court fee; the current amount and any help with fees are on GOV.UK.
Gatekeeping and Cafcass safeguarding checks
When the application is received, a judge or legal adviser reviews it and allocates it. CafcassCafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the court about what is best for a child. then carries out safeguarding checks with the police and local authority and telephones each parent, usually within about seventeen working days, and writes a safeguarding letter for the court.
The first hearing: FHDRA
The FHDRAA FHDRA is the first hearing in a children case: a first hearing and dispute resolution appointment. The court looks at what is agreed, what is not, and what needs to happen next., or First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment, is usually four to eight weeks after the application. A Cafcass officer is normally present. The aim is to see what can be agreed and, for what cannot, to set directions: whether a welfare report is needed, whether there needs to be a separate hearing about disputed allegations, and when the next hearing will be. Interim arrangements may be ordered.
The section 7 report
If the court needs more information about the child's welfare, it can order a report under section 7 reportA section 7 report is a welfare report about what is best for a child, written for the court by Cafcass or the local authority when the court asks for one. It makes recommendations; the decision stays with the court. of the Children Act 1989, usually from Cafcass or the local authority. The officer speaks to both parents and, depending on age, the child, and may contact the school and others. The report typically takes twelve to sixteen weeks and includes recommendations.
The DRA
The DRAA DRA is a dispute resolution appointment: a hearing later in the case that looks at whether things can be settled now the reports and statements are in. If everything is agreed there, an order can be made at that hearing., or Dispute Resolution Appointment, happens once the report is in. Its purpose is to see whether the report has narrowed the issues enough for the court to make a final order without a contested hearing. Many cases end here.
The final hearing
If things remain in dispute, the court lists a final hearing. Each parent gives evidence and can be asked questions, Cafcass may give evidence, and the judge decides. The judge applies the welfare checklist from the Children Act, with the child's welfare as the paramount consideration.
Fact-finding hearings
Where there are allegations of domestic abuse or harm that would affect the decision, the court can list a separate fact-finding hearing to decide whether the allegations are true, before it decides the arrangements. Post 9 covers this in more detail.
What a McKenzie friend can do
A McKenzie friend is a person who supports someone representing themselves in court. They can sit with you, take notes, help you organise your papers and quietly suggest points. They cannot speak for you or conduct the case unless the judge gives permission, and they are not a solicitor. Courts generally allow a McKenzie friend, and it helps to tell the court in advance who they are.
How familycourt.app and McKenzie can help
McKenzie, the app's AI assistant, is named after the McKenzie friend because it plays a similar role: alongside you, explaining each stage in plain English, helping you organise your material, and helping you prepare your own documents for each hearing. The case map shows every stage above, with typical timings, and highlights where you are.