The part most guides get wrong
Which court forms need a MIAM?
You must attend a MIAM before applying to the family court on a C100 (child arrangements) or a Form A (financial order), unless an exemption applies. A MIAM is also required before a specific set of C1 and C2 applications, including parental responsibility, guardianship, permission to change a child’s surname or remove a child from the UK, and special guardianship.
Most websites mention only the C100. That is true but incomplete, and the missing detail is exactly what the court checks. Below is the full, accurate list, with the relevant sections of the Children Act 1989. New to this? Start with what is a MIAM.
Last reviewed · 12 June 2026 · Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy
Requirement under s.10 Children and Families Act 2014 · See FPR Practice Direction 3A · FM1 on GOV.UK
The applications that need a MIAM
There are three groups. For the first two, the MIAM confirmation is built into the application form. For the third, a separate FM1 form is filed alongside.
| Application | What it covers | How the MIAM is confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Form C100 | Child arrangements, prohibited steps and specific issue orders under s.8 Children Act 1989.For example: when a child sees each parent, overnight stays, grandparent contact, a parent moving away or relocating abroad with a child, which school a child attends, or varying an existing order. | Confirmed within the C100 itself, signed by an FMC-accredited mediator. |
| Form A | A financial order on divorce or dissolution, including property, pensions and maintenance.For example: dividing up assets, allocating debts and liabilities, who pays which bills, pension sharing, spousal maintenance, emergency or interim finances, and who keeps or sells the family home. | Confirmed within Form A, signed by an FMC-accredited mediator. |
| Forms C1 / C2 | A specific set of children applications, listed in full below.For example: changing a child’s surname, gaining or ending parental responsibility, or a grandparent seeking the court’s permission to apply. | Confirmed on a separate FM1 form, filed alongside the C1 or C2. |
Which C1 and C2 applications need a MIAM?
You must attend a MIAM before applying on form C1 or C2 for any of the following Children Act 1989 orders. This is the list set out in the FM1 and Practice Direction 3A.
| Order | Children Act 1989 sections |
|---|---|
| Parental responsibility order | ss.4(1)(c), 4ZA(1)(c), 4A(1)(b) |
| Termination of parental responsibility | ss.4(2A), 4ZA(5), 4A(3) |
| Appointment of a child’s guardian | s.5(1) |
| Termination of a guardian’s appointment | s.6(7) |
| Permission to change a child’s surname | s.13(1) |
| Permission to remove a child from the UK | ss.13(1), 14C |
| Special guardianship order | s.14D |
If your C1 or C2 application is for one of these orders, you attend a MIAM and the mediator completes an FM1 to file alongside it. For other C1 or C2 applications not on this list, the MIAM requirement may not apply, which is one reason to check before you file.
Where the FM1 fits in
The FM1 is the form a mediator completes to confirm your MIAM attendance or exemption when you apply using a C1 or C2. The point worth being clear about, and the point many guides get wrong, is that the FM1 is not itself an application for a court order. It travels alongside your C1 or C2 to show the MIAM requirement has been met.
For a C100 or Form A there is no separate FM1; the mediator signs the MIAM section inside the application form. Around fourteen years ago the FM1 accompanied all the relevant applications, which is why older guidance still calls it the universal “MIAM certificate”. The mechanics have moved on. There is more on this on the MIAM certificate.
Which applications do not need a MIAM?
A MIAM is not required for every family court application. You will generally not need one where:
| Situation | Why no MIAM is needed |
|---|---|
| You have already agreed everything | If you and your ex-partner agree, you can ask the court to make it binding by consent order without a MIAM. See consent orders. |
| You are enforcing an existing order | Applications to enforce an order the court has already made do not require a fresh MIAM. |
| The matter is urgent or without notice | Where there is a risk to life, liberty or safety, or a risk of harm to a child, urgent and without-notice applications are exempt. |
| Child protection proceedings are involved | Where a local authority is involved in child protection, or the child is the subject of proceedings, a MIAM is not required. |
| A recognised exemption applies | For example domestic abuse with the right evidence. See MIAM exemptions for the full list. |
Where you claim an exemption, the court expects supporting evidence, and it will check that the exemption has been validly claimed before processing your application. For who this requirement applies to, see who needs a MIAM and is a MIAM compulsory.
Not sure which form your case needs? Our mediators see this every day and will point you to the right route at your MIAM, then sign the correct form. Book a MIAM, or call 0330 999 0959 to talk it through first.
Quick answers
Which forms need a MIAM: common questions
Do I need a MIAM for a C100?
Yes, in most cases. A C100 is the application for a child arrangements, prohibited steps or specific issue order, and you must attend a MIAM before filing it unless an exemption applies. The MIAM confirmation is signed by the mediator within the C100 itself.
Do I need a MIAM for a financial order (Form A)?
Yes. A Form A application for a financial order on divorce or dissolution requires a MIAM, unless an exemption applies. The confirmation is built into Form A, signed by the mediator.
Do I need a MIAM to change my child’s surname?
Yes. Permission to change a child’s surname is one of the C1 and C2 applications that require a MIAM (s.13(1) Children Act 1989). The mediator completes an FM1 to file with your application.
Do I need a MIAM for a consent order?
No. If you and your ex-partner have already reached agreement and only need the court to make it legally binding, a consent order does not require a MIAM.
Is the FM1 a court application?
No. The FM1 confirms your MIAM attendance or exemption and is filed alongside a C1 or C2 application. It is not, by itself, an application for any court order.
What if I am not sure whether my application needs a MIAM?
The safest step is to attend a MIAM or check with an accredited mediator before filing. Getting it wrong usually means the court returns your application. Our mediators will confirm the right route and sign the correct form. Call 0330 999 0959.
Sources and further reading
- Form FM1 on GOV.UK, listing the C1 and C2 orders that require a MIAM
- Family Procedure Rules, Practice Direction 3A
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 10
- Children Act 1989
Reviewed by Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy, Mediate UK. MIAM UK is a trading name of Family Legal Ltd. Last reviewed 12 June 2026.