Get your MIAM before you apply to court with a C100

Why you need a MIAM before a C100

Since 2014, anyone applying for a child arrangements, specific issue or prohibited steps order has had to attend a MIAM first (Children and Families Act 2014, section 10). The court will not usually process your C100 without it.

A MIAM is a one-to-one meeting with a family mediator. They explain how mediation works, talk through your situation and help you decide whether mediation could settle things without a hearing. It is not a commitment to mediate. Three things parents often do not realise:

• You can still apply if your ex-partner does not attend. Only you need to go to your MIAM.
• The confirmation lasts four months. Book it when you are ready to apply.
• It is not a test. There is nothing to pass.

How it works with Ark

1. Book online. Answer our short MIAM questionnaire and choose standard or urgent.
2. Attend by video. A meeting of up to 60 minutes with an FMC-registered mediator, from home.
3. Get your MIAM certificate. If mediation is not suitable or you decide to go to court, your mediator completes and signs the MIAM section of your C100 and sends it to you securely.

What is a C100 form?

The C100 is the application you use to ask the family court in England and Wales to decide something about your child's upbringing. You can use it to apply for:

• A child arrangements order: where your child lives and when they spend time with each parent.
• A specific issue order: one particular question, such as which school your child attends.
• A prohibited steps order: stopping a parent from taking a particular step, such as taking your child abroad.

If you have already agreed arrangements and want them made legally binding, you apply for a consent order instead, and you do not need a MIAM.

How to apply with a C100

Online

You can apply through the government's online service. You can save your application and come back to it, and you have 28 days to finish once you start.

By post

Send the paper C100 plus three copies to the family court nearest where your child lives.

The court fee

The court charges £270 to apply (GOV.UK, October 2026). You may get help with court fees if you are on benefits or a low income. This fee is paid to the court, not to Ark.

How long it takes

GOV.UK says a court order usually takes around 10 months. Mediation is often much quicker, and agreements reached in mediation can be made legally binding through a consent order.

When you do not need a MIAM

You will not usually need a MIAM if:

• you attended a MIAM, or tried another non-court process, in the last four months
• you have evidence that you are a victim of domestic abuse
• you are applying for a consent order
• your children are at risk of harm, for example social services are involved
• you cannot attend because of your location, situation or mediator availability
• you are applying for a hearing without the other person being told
• the application is urgent, for example you or your child are in danger

You claim an exemption on the C100 itself and may need evidence. If you are unsure, call us for a free 10-minute consultation. If you have safety concerns, see safeguarding and safety.

Could mediation avoid court altogether?

Many parents who come to us for a MIAM go on to agree arrangements in mediation instead. For children cases, the government's Family Mediation Voucher Scheme can contribute up to £500.