Child Law · Specific Issue & Prohibited Steps
A prohibited steps order is a court order that stops the other parent from taking a particular step without the court's permission, for example removing your child from the country, moving them away, or changing their school or surname. Our family solicitors advise you honestly on your prospects, act quickly where your child is at risk, and represent you, with your child's welfare and your safety in mind.
At a glance
Who it is for
Parents who need to stop the other parent doing something that could harm or unsettle their child.
Made on Form C100
You apply on Form C100, under section 8 of the Children Act 1989.
Can be urgent
Where there is a real risk, such as your child being taken abroad, the order can be sought urgently and without notice.
Court fee
A C100 court fee of £263, with Help with Fees available if you are on a low income.
A prohibited steps order is a court order that prevents a parent from taking a specified step in the exercise of their parental responsibility without the court's consent. It is made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. In plain terms, it stops one named thing from happening, rather than deciding where your child lives or how they spend their time.
A prohibited steps order is used where you need to hold a situation still and stop a decision or action that could harm or unsettle your child. Once the order is in place, the other parent cannot take that step unless the court allows it.
A prohibited steps order can prevent a wide range of actions, depending on what your child needs protecting from. Common examples include:
If instead you need the court to decide a question or allow something to happen, rather than stop it, that is usually dealt with by a specific issue order.
The two orders are close relatives, and both are made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, but they do opposite jobs. A prohibited steps order prevents a parent from doing something without the court's permission. A specific issue order answers a question or allows something to happen. If you are not sure which one fits your situation, we will look at the facts with you and advise on the right application, and sometimes both are needed together.
Your child's welfare is the court's paramount concern, under section 1 of the Children Act 1989. The court weighs the welfare checklist, including your child's needs and wishes, the likely effect of any decision, and any risk of harm. It also applies the no-order principle, making an order only where doing so is better for your child than making no order at all.
A prohibited steps order normally lasts until your child is 16, unless the court decides otherwise. Where there is a real and immediate risk, such as a threat to remove your child from the country, the court can act quickly and, in a genuine emergency, make the order without notice to the other parent first. We help you show the court why the order is needed and why it is in your child's best interests.
A prohibited steps order is often the fastest way to protect a child when a relationship has broken down and there is a risk of harm, for example where an abusive parent threatens to take a child away, remove them from the country, or move them to isolate them from you. Where there has been domestic abuse, the court has clear duties to protect you and your child, and to act with urgency where it is needed.
Where there has been domestic abuse, you are not required to mediate with the other parent, and the court must consider your safety under Practice Direction 12J. Where appropriate we raise safeguarding through the C1A form and ask for protective measures, such as separate waiting areas or a screen at court. For free and confidential support at any time you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency always call 999. The points on this page are correct as at June 2026 and are a general guide, not legal advice on your situation.
Applying for a prohibited steps order follows a clear path, and can be dealt with quickly where your child is at risk. These are the main stages.
1. We assess the risk and your options
We look at what you need to stop and at your history, including any abuse, and tell you honestly whether the court is likely to make the order and how quickly.
2. We deal with the MIAM or exemption
A MIAM is usually needed before you apply. Where there has been domestic abuse, or the matter is urgent, an exemption applies, so you are not held up by mediation. We handle the paperwork and evidence.
3. We file the C100 for a prohibited steps order
We complete the C100, set out clearly what must be stopped and why, and where there is risk we ask for an urgent or without-notice hearing and raise safeguarding through the C1A form.
4. The court decides
In an emergency the court can make a short order at once and list a hearing soon after. Otherwise it hears the issue and decides what is best for your child, sometimes after Cafcass checks.
Our family solicitors act quickly to protect your child through a prohibited steps order, from first advice to a sealed order, with care for your safety throughout.
We listen in confidence, look at the risk and at any abuse, and tell you whether an application is likely to succeed and how urgently it can be dealt with.
Where there is a threat, such as your child being taken abroad, we move quickly and, where needed, ask the court to act without notice to the other parent.
We complete the C100, set out clearly what must be stopped, and raise any safeguarding concerns the court needs to see.
We represent you through to a sealed order, whether it is made urgently, agreed by consent, or decided by the court after a hearing.
This work is usually privately funded, and we offer a clear fixed fee so you know the cost from the start. Legal aid for private children matters is limited. It is generally available only where there is evidence of domestic abuse or a risk of harm to a child, and it is means and merits tested. We will tell you honestly whether you may qualify and, where we cannot carry out legal aid work ourselves, help you find a provider who can. Any fee is set out clearly and in writing before any work begins, and there is no charge for an initial phone consultation.
A prohibited steps order is a court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 that stops a parent taking a specified step without the court's permission. It is often used to prevent a child being removed from the country, moved away, or having their school or surname changed. It holds a situation still to protect the child.
Common examples include taking a child abroad or removing them from the United Kingdom, moving a child far away within the country, changing a child's school or surname, and allowing contact with someone who poses a risk. It can prevent almost any step that could harm or unsettle your child.
A prohibited steps order stops a parent from doing something without the court's permission. A specific issue order does the opposite and answers a question or allows something to happen, such as which school a child attends. Both are section 8 orders, and sometimes you need both together.
Yes. Where there is a real and immediate risk, such as your child about to be taken abroad, the court can deal with the application urgently and, in a genuine emergency, make the order without notice to the other parent first. Tell us straight away so we can act quickly.
Usually you attend a MIAM before applying. Where there has been domestic abuse, or the matter is genuinely urgent, an exemption applies, so you are not required to mediate or held up by it. We deal with the exemption and the evidence it needs on your behalf.
A prohibited steps order normally lasts until your child reaches 16, unless the court decides that it should end sooner or, in unusual cases, continue for longer. While it is in force, the other parent cannot take the prohibited step without the court's consent.
The court fee for a C100 application is £263, and Help with Fees may reduce or remove it if you are on a low income. On top of that is our fixed fee, which we agree with you in writing before any work starts. The initial phone consultation is free.
Last updated: June 2026.
