The Respondent's Guide — How to Respond to a Child Arrangements Application

The application has been made against you.

Here is how to respond effectively.

Your child's father has filed a C100 application. You 

have been served with court papers. The court is being 

asked to make an order about your children that you 

did not initiate.

This guide is written specifically for respondent 

mothers — because the respondent's experience of 

family court is genuinely different from the applicant's, 

and that difference matters.

WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS:

PART 1 — WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A C100 IS FILED

The C7 Acknowledgment of Service — what to say and 

what not to say. The CAFCASS safeguarding call — 

when it will happen and what to expect. The FHDRA — 

what it is and how long you have to prepare.

PART 2 — THE CAFCASS SAFEGUARDING CALL

The call that matters most in the early stages — and 

the one most mothers approach without preparation.

What CAFCASS is actually listening for. How to present 

genuine welfare concerns clearly and credibly. What 

not to say — and why.

PART 3 — IF YOU ARE FACING ALLEGATIONS

The allegation of parental alienation — what it means, 

how seriously courts take it, and how to respond. The 

most powerful response is a consistent record of having 

supported the relationship. This section tells you how 

to build and present that record.

PART 4 — YOUR POSITION AT THE FHDRA

How to approach the first hearing with a positive 

proposal — not just opposition. What the court expects 

from a respondent. When welfare concerns justify 

resisting contact, and how to present them effectively.

PART 5 — WRITING YOUR WITNESS STATEMENT

Structure, content and tone. What to include — and 

what to leave out. The version you write at midnight 

is not the version that should go to court.

PART 6 — PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN

If there is a history of domestic abuse — what to 

disclose, when and how. The children's voice — 

what courts do with it and what you must never do. 

The single rule that covers everything.

WHAT YOU GET:

✓ Complete respondent's guide — 6 parts

✓ Covers C7, CAFCASS, FHDRA, witness statement

✓ Specific guidance on alienation allegations

✓ Written by a qualified solicitor (non-practising)

✓ PDF — instant download, lifetime access

No deposit. No hourly rate. Just the knowledge 

you need to respond effectively.

For educational purposes only. Not legal advice.

Eugene Pienaar is a non-practising Solicitor of the 

Supreme Court of England and Wales.