Child Law · Specific Issue & Prohibited Steps
A specific issue order is a court order that settles a single important question about your child when you and the other parent cannot agree, for example which school they attend, medical treatment, or whether they can be taken abroad. Our family solicitors advise you honestly on your prospects, prepare your application, and represent you, with your child's welfare and your safety in mind.
At a glance
Who it is for
Parents who cannot agree on one important decision about their child's upbringing.
Made on Form C100
You apply on Form C100, under section 8 of the Children Act 1989.
Your child comes first
The court decides the question by what is best for your child, not by what either parent wants.
Court fee
A C100 court fee of £263, with Help with Fees available if you are on a low income.
A specific issue order is a court order that decides a single, specific question about a child's upbringing when the people with parental responsibility cannot agree. It is made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, and it settles that one question, rather than deciding where your child lives or how much time they spend with each parent.
A specific issue order is used where an important decision needs to be made and the parents are at a deadlock. The court steps in, considers the question, and gives a direction that both parents must then follow.
A specific issue order can resolve almost any single question about a child's care and upbringing. Some of the most common are:
If instead you need to stop the other parent from doing something, such as removing your child from your care or from the country, that is usually dealt with by a prohibited steps order rather than 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 specific issue order answers a question or allows something to happen. A prohibited steps order prevents a parent from doing something without the court's permission. 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 specific issue order normally lasts until your child is 16, unless the court decides otherwise. Because the focus is entirely on your child, it helps to show the court clearly why the outcome you are asking for is in their best interests. We help you build and present that case.
Questions about a child often arise in the middle of a difficult or abusive relationship, for example a dispute about a passport, travel abroad, or which school keeps a child safe. Where there has been domestic abuse, the court has clear duties to protect you, and you should not feel pushed into agreeing to something that puts you or your child at risk.
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 specific issue order follows a clear path, and is often quicker where the point in dispute is narrow. These are the main stages.
1. We assess the question and your options
We look at the decision in dispute and at your history, including any abuse, and tell you honestly whether the court is likely to agree with the outcome you want.
2. We deal with the MIAM or exemption
A MIAM is usually needed before you apply. Where there has been domestic abuse the exemption applies, so you are not required to mediate. We handle the paperwork and evidence.
3. We file the C100 for a specific issue order
We complete the C100, set out the question and why your outcome is best for your child, and where there has been abuse we raise safeguarding through the C1A form. Cafcass carries out its checks.
4. The court decides
If you both agree, the court can make the order by consent. If not, it hears the issue and gives a direction, sometimes after a short welfare report from Cafcass.
Our family solicitors guide you through a specific issue order from first advice to a sealed order, with care for your safety throughout.
We listen in confidence, look at the decision in dispute and at any abuse, and tell you whether an application is likely to succeed and what to expect.
We deal with the MIAM requirement and, where domestic abuse applies, the exemption, so you are not pushed into mediating with someone who has harmed you.
We complete the C100, set out the question clearly, and raise any safeguarding concerns the court needs to see.
We represent you through to a sealed order, whether the point is 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 specific issue order is a court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 that settles one specific question about a child's upbringing when the parents cannot agree. It might decide schooling, medical treatment, travel abroad or religion. The court answers that single question by what is best for your child.
Common examples include which school a child attends, medical treatment and vaccinations, whether a child can be taken to live or travel abroad, religious upbringing, and a change of surname. It can cover almost any single question about care and upbringing where the parents are at a deadlock.
A specific issue order answers a question or allows something to happen. A prohibited steps order does the opposite and stops a parent from doing something without the court's permission, such as moving a child away. Both are section 8 orders, and sometimes you need both together.
Usually you attend a MIAM before applying, to consider whether mediation could resolve the issue. Where there has been domestic abuse an exemption applies, so you are not required to mediate with the other parent. We deal with the exemption and the evidence it needs on your behalf.
A specific issue order normally lasts until your child reaches 16, unless the court decides that it should end sooner or, in unusual cases, continue for longer. Once the court has answered the question and made its direction, both parents must follow it.
Yes. Where the matter is urgent, for example a child about to be taken abroad, we can ask the court to deal with it quickly, and in a genuine emergency an application can be made without notice to the other parent. Tell us straight away so we can act fast.
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.
