What Are Prohibited Steps Orders? How to Apply and Enforce Them
Updated: 2 days ago
Last updated: 2 November 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: What is a prohibited steps order? It's a court order that stops a parent, or anyone else, from taking a particular step with a child without the court's permission, such as taking them abroad, changing their surname or moving school. You apply on form C100, the court fee is £270 (checked 2 November 2026), and in an urgent case a judge can make an order the same day.
What is a prohibited steps order?
It's one of the orders a family court can make under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. The wording in the Act is a bit of a mouthful, but the idea is simple. When parents separate, both usually keep parental responsibility, which means either of them can normally make day-to-day decisions. A prohibited steps order takes one particular decision off the table. Whatever the order names, nobody can do it without going back to the court.
We often hear from parents who are worried for one of three reasons:
they think the other parent is about to take the child abroad and might not come back
the other parent has threatened to move the child to the other end of the country
someone is planning to change the child's school or surname without asking
Those are exactly the situations these orders are designed for.
What can a prohibited steps order stop?
The order has to be specific. It can stop someone from:
taking the child out of England and Wales, or out of the UK
changing the child's surname
moving the child to a new school
moving house with the child, particularly a long way away
making certain medical decisions
bringing the child into contact with a named person
It doesn't have to be made against a parent. The order can name anyone, such as a new partner or a relative, if that's what the child's safety needs.
Prohibited steps order or specific issue order?
People often mix these up, and the difference matters when you fill in the form.
A prohibited steps order stops something from happening. For example, "the father must not remove the child from her current school."
A specific issue order settles a disagreement by deciding it. For example, "the child will attend St Mary's Primary from September."
If you want to stop the other parent doing something, you're usually looking at a prohibited steps order. If you both disagree and you need the court to make the decision, it's a specific issue order. You can ask for both on the same C100 form.
Who can apply?
These people can apply without asking the court's permission first:
a parent
a guardian or special guardian
a step-parent who has parental responsibility
anyone named in a child arrangements order as someone the child lives with
Anyone else, a grandparent for example, can still apply but has to ask the court's permission first. Grandparents have their own route, which we explain in our article on grandparents' rights.
There are a few limits. The court won't normally make one for a child aged 16 or over unless the circumstances are exceptional. It can't make one for a child who is in local authority care. And it won't use a prohibited steps order to get round something that should be dealt with by a child arrangements order.
How to apply, step by step
How to apply at a glance
Step | What happens |
1. Mediation meeting (MIAM) | Usually required first. Not needed if it's urgent or there's evidence of domestic abuse. |
2. Fill in form C100 | Online via GOV.UK or on paper. Say exactly what you want the court to stop, and why. |
3. Pay the £270 court fee | You may pay less, or nothing, through Help with Fees. |
Urgent? | A judge can make a same-day order. If a child may be taken abroad within 48 hours, call the police too. |
4. Cafcass safeguarding checks | Phone calls with both parents, plus police and local authority checks. |
5. First hearing (FHDRA) | The court looks at what's agreed and what isn't. Many cases settle here. |
6. Reports and final hearing | The court may ask for a section 7 report, then decide based on the child's welfare. |
1. Try mediation first (MIAM). In most cases you need to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before you apply. You may be able to get a government voucher worth up to £500 towards mediation. You don't need a MIAM if the application is urgent, if there's evidence of domestic abuse, or if another exemption applies. You'll tick the relevant box on the form.
2. Fill in form C100. You can apply online through GOV.UK or send a paper form. On the form you set out what you're asking the court to stop and why. Be specific. "Stop the mother taking the children to Spain" is much better than "stop her taking them away."
3. Pay the fee. The court fee is currently £270. If you're on benefits or a low income, you might pay less or nothing at all through the Help with Fees scheme.
4. Ask for an urgent hearing if you need one. If you genuinely believe the child is about to be taken abroad or hidden, tell the court straight away. A judge can make an order "without notice", which means before the other parent is told, and list a hearing a few days later so they can respond. If you think the child could be taken out of the country within the next 48 hours, call the police too. They can put an all-ports alert in place.
5. Cafcass safeguarding checks. Cafcass will speak to both parents by phone and run police and local authority checks before the first hearing.
6. The first hearing (FHDRA). This is the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment. The judge or magistrates will try to narrow down what's agreed and what isn't. Many cases are sorted out at this stage, either by agreement or with an undertaking, which is a formal promise to the court.
7. Reports and a final hearing, if needed. If things can't be agreed, the court may ask Cafcass for a section 7 report and set the case down for a final hearing where both sides give evidence.
How does the court decide?
The child's welfare comes first. It's the court's paramount consideration under section 1 of the Children Act. The judge works through the welfare checklist, which covers things like:
the child's wishes and feelings, depending on their age
their needs
the likely effect of any change on them
any risk of harm
The court also only makes an order if doing so is better for the child than making no order at all. So you need to show a real risk, not just a worry. Evidence helps a lot: messages threatening to leave, a one-way ticket, a passport application or a job offer abroad.
How long does it last?
As long as the order says. Some are made for a few months while a case is ongoing. Others last until the child turns 16, which is when this kind of order normally ends unless the court decides there are exceptional circumstances.
Can a parent move within the UK without permission?
The law doesn't require a parent to get permission to move house within the UK. But if the move would seriously affect the child's relationship with the other parent, that parent can ask the court for a prohibited steps order to stop it. The court will look at the reasons for the move and what it would mean for the child.
Taking a child abroad is different. A parent who takes a child out of the UK without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, or the court's permission, may be committing a criminal offence under the Child Abduction Act 1984. There's one exception. A parent named in a child arrangements order as the person the child lives with can take the child abroad for up to a month without consent, unless an order says otherwise.
What happens if someone breaks a prohibited steps order?
Breaking a court order is contempt of court. You can apply to the court for a committal order. If the judge finds the breach proved, the person can be fined or, in serious cases, sent to prison for up to two years. To bring contempt proceedings, the order usually needs to carry a penal notice, which is a warning printed on the order. It's worth asking the court to add one when the order is made.
One point that a lot of websites, including the old version of this page, get wrong: the "enforcement order" process with unpaid work applies to child arrangements orders, not prohibited steps orders. A breach of a prohibited steps order goes down the contempt route.
If a child has been taken, or you think they're about to be taken, contact the police first. Then contact the court.
Can a prohibited steps order be changed or removed?
Yes. Either parent can apply to vary or discharge the order using form C100. The court will again ask what's best for the child now. If you both agree the order is no longer needed, you can send the court a draft consent order, and it may deal with it without a full hearing.
If you think the judge got it wrong in the first place, that's an appeal rather than a variation. Appeals have strict time limits, usually 21 days from the decision.
Can I apply myself?
Yes. Many parents apply as litigants in person. The forms aren't complicated, but the wording you use on the C100 and in your statement makes a real difference to how the court sees your case.
How we can help
We're a family law paralegal firm, not solicitors, and we don't represent you in court. What we do is help you get the paperwork right:
completing the C100
drafting your statement and position statement
preparing your court bundle
explaining what to expect at each hearing
Many of our clients come to us after a difficult phone call, a threat or an unexpected letter. If that sounds like you, use the contact form at the bottom of this page or email help@incourt.co.uk. You can read what our clients say in our Google reviews.
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Frequently asked questions
How quickly can I get a prohibited steps order?
In a genuine emergency, the same day. Otherwise expect the first hearing to be listed within several weeks. Timescales vary between courts.
Does the other parent have to be told?
Usually, yes. In urgent cases the court can make a short-term order first and hear from the other parent at a hearing soon afterwards.
Do I need a solicitor?
No. You can apply yourself. Some people get help with the paperwork from a paralegal or McKenzie Friend, or instruct a solicitor if the case is complex.
Can a prohibited steps order stop my ex's new partner seeing my child?
It can, if the court is satisfied that contact with that person would put the child at risk.
Is a prohibited steps order the same as a non-molestation order?
No. A non-molestation order protects people from abuse or harassment. A prohibited steps order is about decisions concerning a child. Sometimes people need both.
What happens if I break a prohibited steps order?
If you break a prohibited steps order, the other person can ask the family court to deal with you for contempt of court, under Part 37 of the Family Procedure Rules. The order should carry a penal notice, a warning on its front page. If the breach is proved, the court can send you to prison or fine you. The unpaid-work enforcement orders in section 11J of the Children Act 1989 apply only to child arrangements orders. If you need to do something the order forbids, apply to vary it first.
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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