Prohibited Steps and Specific Issues Orders

Prohibited steps and specific issue orders are made by the Family Court under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989

An application to the court for a prohibited steps order will be necessary when a parent or person with parental responsibility for a child requires an Order of the Court that a person refrains from taking certain actions concerning the child.

Prohibited steps orders may be sought for such matters as:-

• To prevent a person bringing the child into contact with somebody who is likely to have a bad influence on the child.
• To prevent a person from removing the child from the jurisdiction of the court.
• To prevent a change of surname

Application is made using Form C100 

Specific Issue Orders

A Specific Issues Order deals with a specific question that has arisen in connection with any issue of Parental Responsibility for a child.

An application to a court for a specific issues order could be for a judge to decide a matter on which parents have been unable to agree such as:-

• Where the child should go to school;
• whether the child can be taken abroad on holiday;
• whether they might leave England and Wales to live permanently in another country;
• decisions about religion;
• a change of surname;
• Whether the child should receive medical treatment.