Family Court Fees UK — Child Arrangements Costs 2026
Working out how much child arrangements proceedings will actually cost is one of the first things parents try to figure out — and the answer is harder to pin down than it should be, because the court fees are just one layer of the total expense. Here's a clear breakdown of what you'll pay at each stage, what you might qualify to have waived, and how to budget realistically.
Court Fees at a Glance
| Application | Fee | When it's paid |
|---|---|---|
| C100 — Child Arrangements Order application | £270 | When you file the application |
| Consent order (child arrangements) | £62 | When both parents file an agreed order |
| Enforcement of a child arrangements order | £270 | When you apply to enforce a breached order |
| Specific Issue Order or Prohibited Steps Order | £270 | Filed via C100 — same fee as a child arrangements application |
| Appeal against a Children Act 1989 decision | £251 | When you file the appeal |
For comparison, the divorce application itself (Form D8) costs £628, and a financial consent order costs £62. These are separate from child arrangements — you can have one without the other, or both simultaneously.
The Help with Fees Scheme (Form EX160)
If you're on a low income, you can apply for a full or partial fee waiver using Form EX160. The application is assessed before your court fee is due — apply at the same time as filing your C100.
Automatic full waiver. You qualify automatically if you receive any of the following benefits, provided your total savings (bank accounts, ISAs, stocks, crypto, redundancy payouts) are below £4,250:
- Universal Credit with annual earnings under £6,000
- Income Support
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
If you're aged 66 or over, the savings limit rises to £16,000.
Income-based waiver. If you're not on a qualifying benefit, a full waiver is available if your gross monthly income falls below:
- £1,420/month — single applicant, no children
- £2,130/month — couple, no children
- Add £425/month for each child aged 13 or under
- Add £710/month for each child aged 14+
So a single parent with two children (ages 8 and 10) could earn up to £2,270/month and still qualify for a full fee waiver.
Partial waivers are available on a sliding scale for incomes up to £4,420 (single) or £5,130 (couple).
Total Realistic Costs: Three Scenarios
Scenario 1: Agreement reached before court. Both parents agree on arrangements through negotiation or mediation. A solicitor drafts a consent order.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MIAM (if needed; each parent) | £0–£300 |
| Mediation sessions (if needed) | £0–£1,000 (offset by £500 voucher) |
| Solicitor — consent order drafting | £300–£500 |
| Court filing — consent order | £62 |
| Total combined, before splitting shared costs | £362–£1,862 |
Scenario 2: Court application, settlement at FHDRA. Mediation fails, you file a C100, but both parents reach agreement at the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MIAM | £100–£150 |
| C100 court fee | £270 |
| Solicitor for FHDRA prep (optional) | £500–£1,500 |
| Total per parent | £870–£1,920 |
Scenario 3: Fully contested — multiple hearings. No agreement. The case proceeds through a fact-finding hearing, further Cafcass reports, and a final hearing.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MIAM | £100–£150 |
| C100 court fee | £270 |
| Solicitor (hourly, multiple hearings) | £3,000–£10,000+ |
| Barrister (per hearing day) | £750–£5,000+ |
| Expert assessment (if ordered) | Paid by the parties — £1,000–£3,000 |
| Total per parent | £5,120–£18,420+ |
Self-represented parents in Scenario 3 save the solicitor and barrister costs but face a steep learning curve. The court process is procedurally demanding, and judges expect litigants in person to meet the same deadlines and documentation standards as represented parties.
Free Download
Get the England — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
Indirect contact costs. If supervised contact is ordered, contact centres charge £50–£150 per session.
Time off work. Hearings typically happen on weekday mornings. A contested case might involve 3–5 hearing dates over 6–12 months.
Childcare during hearings. Children don't attend court. You'll need to arrange care for hearing days.
Document preparation. Photocopying court bundles, printing Scott Schedules, posting documents to the court — these small costs add up, especially for litigants in person who don't have office admin support.
Emotional support. Many parents access counselling during proceedings. NHS waiting lists can be long; private therapy runs £40–£80 per session.
Keeping Costs Down
The single most effective way to reduce costs is reaching agreement before the first hearing. Even if the process starts with a C100 application, settling at or before the FHDRA saves both parents thousands of pounds and months of uncertainty.
Practical steps:
- Use the £500 mediation voucher. It covers joint mediation for child arrangements and can eliminate mediation costs entirely.
- Draft your own parenting plan first. If you arrive at mediation or the FHDRA with a detailed, child-focused proposal, negotiations move faster.
- Self-represent strategically. Solicitor representation for every hearing is expensive. Some parents self-represent for routine hearings and hire a barrister for the final hearing only — a strategy called "unbundled" legal services.
- Apply for fee waivers early. Submit Form EX160 with your C100 application. If your income has dropped since separation (as it often does), you may qualify even if you didn't expect to.
For a complete walkthrough of the child arrangements process — with templates for parenting plans, Cafcass preparation checklists, and cost-saving strategies for self-represented parents — the England Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide covers each stage from mediation through to final orders.
Get Your Free England — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist
Download the England — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.