Issued by the Court, a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) prevents a parent from carrying out certain activities relating to a child. It can be useful when parents face specific issues or are unable to agree on their children’s arrangements.
What can a Prohibited Steps Order do?
You can apply for a PSO to stop an individual from various acts including changing a child’s name, taking them out of the country or removing them from school. It doesn’t apply just to parents, as it can be made against anyone regardless of their relationship to the child.
A Prohibited Steps Order is made under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989. You will need to file a C100 application form and prove that you have tried mediation with the respondent. The application can be made either within existing proceedings or independently as a free-standing case. The Court will then examine the reasons behind your claim. In case of an imminent threat to your child, you can make an application for an emergency PSO, providing that you have strong evidence for the case. This means that the application is filled without notice while the respondent may not be aware of the application.
We understand that a PSO can be a challenging step, and our team of expert family law solicitors at MWG can help to make the process smooth, by providing the best legal advice to help increase your chance to get your application approved. Considering filling a Prohibited Steps Order against someone or would you like more information? Call us on 0161 8352446 to speak to one of MWG’s family law solicitors.
