What Is a C8 Form and When Do You Need One?

What Is a C8 Form?

If you are filling in family court forms and you do not want the other person to see where you live, a C8 form is how you keep those details private. It comes up most often in cases about children or finances, sometimes as part of a divorce, where one parent or partner has a real reason to keep their address, phone number or email hidden.

This guide explains what the C8 form is, when you actually need one, how to fill it in step by step, and where to download it. We will also cover the single most important thing to get right, because a simple slip can undo all of it.

What Is a C8 Form?

A C8 form is a short court document called “Confidential contact details”. It sits under Rule 29.1 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, and its job is simple. It lets you give the court your real contact details while keeping them hidden from the other people involved in your case. You may also see it referred to as the confidential contact details form.

When you apply to the family court, your application usually asks for names, addresses and contact details for everyone involved. The other party gets a copy of that application. If you do not want them to know where you live or how to reach you, you leave those boxes blank on the main form and put the details on a C8 form instead. In the family court, this is the official way to keep your address and contact details private.

The court keeps the C8 form separate. The other party never sees it. Only the court, and Cafcass or a local authority if they are involved in your case, can read what you have written.

When Do You Need a C8 Form?

You can use a C8 form whenever you are involved in family court proceedings and you do not want the other party to have your contact details. You do not have to prove anything or explain yourself. Some of the most common situations include:

• Safety after leaving a relationship: you have moved out of an abusive or controlling relationship and do not want your ex to find your new address.
• Protecting a child: you want to keep where a child lives private from someone who could pose a risk to them.
• Ongoing privacy: you simply do not want contact outside the court process, and you would rather your details were not on a form your ex can read.
• Protecting someone else: a new partner or relative the children live with would prefer their details were not shared.

Many people who use a C8 form are dealing with domestic abuse or serious safety worries. If you are ever in immediate danger, call 999. For confidential support at any time, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free on 0808 2000 247. If safety is a concern, you may also not have to attend a MIAM before applying to court, as domestic abuse is one of the recognised MIAM exemptions.

What Details Can You Keep Confidential?

The C8 form lets you keep the following private from the other people in your case:

• Your home address
• Your phone numbers, both home and mobile
• Your email address
• The name of anyone your child lives with, if that person is not already part of the case

You only need to list the details that the other people in the case do not already know. There is no point hiding an address your ex has visited for years. The form is there to protect information that is genuinely private.

If you want someone else’s details kept private as well, for example a new partner the children live with, you fill in a separate C8 form for each person.

How to Fill In a C8 Form

The form itself is short and straightforward. Here is how to fill in a C8 form, step by step.

Step 1: Add the case details

Put the court name, the case number if you already have one, and the full names of any children in the case at the top of the form.

Step 2: Add your own details

Write your name as the person whose contact details are being kept private. If you are completing the form for someone else, use their name and fill in a separate form for each person.

Step 3: List the confidential details

Fill in only the address, phone numbers and email you want to keep private. Leave out anything the other party already knows, as there is no benefit in listing details that are not actually secret.

Step 4: Sign the statement of truth

Sign and date the form to confirm the information is true. Making a false statement here can be treated as contempt of court, so make sure everything you write is accurate.

Step 5: Keep it separate

Do not attach the C8 to your main application. It is filed as its own document so the court can keep it apart from everything the other party sees. If you are sending forms to the court by email, the C8 must be a separate attachment, clearly labelled as confidential contact details for your name.

Where to Download the C8 Form

You can get a C8 form download directly from the government website. The official form is published on GOV.UK and is free to download, fill in and print.

There is also a Welsh language version on the same page. If you would rather not print anything, you can ask for a paper copy from your local family court office.

Always use the current version from GOV.UK. Court forms are updated from time to time, and an out of date form can be rejected, which would only delay your application.

The C8 Form and Child Arrangements

The C8 form child arrangements link is the most common reason people come across it. When you apply for a child arrangements order, you fill in a C100 form, which asks for the address and contact details of everyone in the case.

If you do not want the other parent to see your details, you leave those sections of the C100 blank and complete a C8 instead. The same approach applies to financial cases that use a Form A.

Our guide to child arrangements walks through the whole process, and our C100 form guide explains how to complete the main application. If you would like a hand getting the C100 right, our team can help.

The Mistake That Catches People Out

Here is the part that trips people up. The court only hides the details written on your C8 form. It does not go through the rest of your paperwork to remove your address.

If your address appears anywhere else, on the C100 itself, in a witness statement, on a letter from your GP, in a police or social services report, or even at the top of an email, the other party may be able to see it.

Before anything goes to the court, check every page. Cover or remove your address and contact details from supporting documents. This one habit is what makes the C8 actually work.

Does a C8 Form Cost Anything?

No. There is no separate fee for a C8 form. The only cost is the fee for your main application, such as a C100 or Form A.

If you are on a low income or certain benefits, you may be able to get help with court fees, which can reduce or remove the application fee entirely.

What Happens After You Submit Your C8 Form?

Once your C8 form is with the court, your details are stored separately and kept out of anything the other party receives. Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru or a local authority can see them if they are working on your case, because they may need to contact you, but they will not pass them on.

Your details would only be revealed to the other party if a judge specifically orders it, and that happens very rarely, only where there is a strong reason to do so.

Keep a copy of your completed C8 form for your own records, along with the date you sent it to the court.

Frequently Asked Questions