Cases heard by the Family Care Centre and High Court are complex cases.
Links to forms related to applications for an Order in the Family Care Centre (FCC) are given below and are available from the Department of Justice page for Family Proceedings Rules 1996 documents.
If you need to contact the court, use email in the first instance. Bear in mind that court staff are not legally trained and cannot give legal advice.
They will try and help you with queries but can only give you basic information about the court processes.
For contact details of the different court offices - see NICTS contact details or Court office emails.
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Application for a court Order to FCC
Form C1 – Initial application
Form C1 (FCC & HC) should be completed to make an initial application to the Family Care Centre (FCC) for a court Order, you will need to complete Form C1 and submit it to the appropriate Family Care Centre.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to send a copy of the application to the respondent.
Form C1A - Supplemental Information
Form C1A (FCC & HC) should be completed along with Form C1 if you believe the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering harm through domestic violence, violence within the household, other conduct or behaviour or ill treatment of another person by a person caring, living or having contact with them.
Form C1A Guidance Notes (FCC & HC) on completing Form C1A may help you in completing this form.
Form C5 – Keeping contact details confidential
Form C5 (FCC & HC) can be completed if you want to keep your contact details confidential from the other party, fill in Form C5 and send it to the FCC.
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.
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Fee exemption
Form ER1 - Fee exemption
If you have a low income or are in receipt of state benefits or you are in financial hardship then you may be entitled to help with court fees. To apply for an exemption or to claim back court fees, use Form ER1
You may need to complete more than one form as you must submit a separate form for each individual fee for which you would like help with.
Court fee refund form ( FPC, FCC & HC) should be completed if you have already paid a fee and now realise you could have applied for help, you may be able to claim a refund.
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Responding to an application
The Family Care Centre does not send a summons form to the respondent because the applicant sends the Form C1 directly to the respondent, as well as to the court. However, the courts send other forms.
Form C4 - Acknowledgement
Form C4 (FCC & HC) is the form you will receive if you are named as a respondent in an application. The FCC will send you Form C4 to fill in. You are required to fill it in and return it to the court to show that you acknowledge the receipt of the application.
Form C1A - Supplemental Information
Form C1A (FCC & HC) is a form you will receive if you are named as a respondent in an application at the FCC. The court will send you Form C1A. You should complete it and send it back to the court.
Form C1A Guidance Notes (FCC & HC) on completing Form C1A may help you in completing this form.
Form C3 - Notice to Parties to Proceedings
Form C3 (FPC, FCC & HC) will be sent by the court to inform you of an upcoming hearing. After the case has started the court will send you Form C3, known as the Notice to Parties of Proceedings. This notice will tell you when and where to appear for your hearing(s).
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.
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Application for permission to apply to FCC
Form C2
Form C2 (FCC & HC) should be completed when you require permission of the court to apply for a court Order. It is advisable to also attach the application Form C1 for the Order you are seeking permission to apply for to your Form C2 application. Contact the court office by email to ask whether you need to re-submit the completed Form C1 if permission to apply is given.
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.
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Application for an additional Order or directions in existing proceedings at FCC
Form C2
Form C2 (FCC & HC) can be completed during on-going proceedings if either party wish to apply for an Order, alongside or in addition to the Order applied for in the original application. For example, if a parent is applying for a Contact Order and then wants to prevent the other parent from moving the child to a new school, they can apply for a Prohibited Steps Order during the on-going contact proceedings using Form C2.
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.
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Application to be joined as a party to existing proceedings at FCC
Form C2
Form C2 (FCC & HC) can be completed and submitted to the court if you wish to be joined to existing proceedings. A judge can give an Order for a person to be included in proceedings which they are not automatically involved in. For example, a step-parent who the child has been living with for at least 3 years during the last 5 years, including during the last 3 months.
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.
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Application to stop being a party in existing proceedings at FCC
Form C2
Form C2 (FCC & HC) should be completed if a party wants to apply for a judge to give an Order to no longer be party to the on-going proceeding
Hearing request or approval form
You may be required to complete a form in collaboration with the other party if there is going to be hearing. Contact the court to check.
When the case is listed for hearing, the parties may be required to complete a form about who will attend the hearing and the issues to be discussed.
The court office may send you the form one week prior to the hearing date. The parties may need to collaborate to complete the form before returning it to the court office.