What is a prohibited steps order?

A prohibited steps order, often referred to as a PSO, is a court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. A prohibited steps order prevents a specific action that is not deemed to be in the child’s best interest.

What can a prohibited steps order be used for?

Prohibited steps orders are typically concerned with a single specific issue. For example, common uses include preventing a child from being relocated to a new area or abroad. They can also prevent a change of a child’s school or can stop the change of a surname. Prohibited steps orders can also prevent a parent with parental responsibility from being able to remove the child from the other parent’s care or the care of any 3^rd party or institution. This would, for example, prevent that parent from being able to remove the child from their nursery or school.

Other examples may include:

Preventing unauthorised contact with a child
Preventing a parent from removing a child from their place at nursery or school
Preventing a child’s religion being changed
Preventing certain medical treatment of a child
Preventing a child from being taken to a particular place

A prohibited steps order can be made against anyone, regardless of whether they have parental responsibility.

What a prohibited steps order cannot do

A prohibited steps order does not manage the child’s arrangements, i.e. where they will live or who they will spend time with. For that an application for a child arrangements order would be needed.

It also cannot prevent someone from harassing or assaulting another individual. An application for a non-molestation order would need to be made for a protective injunction.

It also cannot govern who should live in the family home or prevent an individual from returning to the home; for this an occupation order may be needed.

How do I apply for a prohibited steps order?

An application can be made to the local family court on form C100. If the person making the application has any safeguarding concerns in respect of the child then a form C1A should also be completed.

The court would issue the application and Cafcass, the family court advisors, would be directed to speak with the parties. The procedure for this will be dependent upon whether the local court is part of the new pathfinder scheme or whether the “old” pathway still applies.

Prohibited steps orders can also be made in the course of any family proceedings/ in conjunction with another section 8 order (such as a child arrangements order).

Do I need to attend mediation to get a prohibited steps order?

Parties are expected to attend mediation prior to making an application to the Court. The initial mediation meeting is known as a MIAM (Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting). There are exceptions to the need to attend a MIAM though, such as where there is evidence of domestic abuse or in cases of emergency.

Parents/ parties may decide to engage fully in the mediation process to see whether an agreement can be reached between them on the specific issue that cannot be agreed e.g. whether a child’s school should be changed. If an agreement is reached, whilst this would not be a binding court order, it may avoid the need for an application to court.

Do I need permission to apply for a prohibited steps order?

Parents/ those with parental responsibility do not need to ask the Court for permission first to make an application for a prohibited steps order. Extended family members such as grandparents or aunts and uncles are likely to need to seek the court’s permission first.

How much would it cost to apply for a prohibited steps order?

A court fee is payable to the court upon the application being made. As at April 2026, the court fee is £263. Those with low income/ low savings may qualify for a reduction of or an exemption to the court fee.

How will the court decide if a prohibited steps order should be made?

The child’s welfare will be the court’s paramount consideration when deciding whether or not to make a prohibited steps order. This will include consideration to their safety and any risk of harm being posed by the issue in consideration.

The court will also have consideration to the “no-order principle” which means that a prohibited steps order will only be made if necessary, i.e. if it is better for the child than making no order at all.

Can a prohibited steps order be made urgently?

It is possible to apply for an emergency/ urgent prohibited steps order. It can be made on an ex parte basis (i.e. where no notice is given to the other parent). An example of where this may be needed is where one parent is concerned that the child is going to be imminently removed from the area or jurisdiction. There must be a real need for urgency and that urgency will need to be clearly explained within the court application.

If a prohibited steps order is made on an urgent, without notice basis, the Court will often make an interim order and then list a further hearing with all parties present for this to be fully reviewed.

Any parent who is concerned that their child is in immediate risk of abduction should contact the police.

How long does a prohibited steps order last?

The duration of a prohibited steps order can vary from case to case.

Often a prohibited steps order is made for a specific period of time, ranging from several months to a number of years. It may also be that it ends after a specific event.

Generally speaking, the court will not make a prohibited steps order that will come to an end after the child has reached 16 (unless there are exceptional circumstances). No order can continue beyond a child reaching 18.

What happens if a prohibited steps order is breached?

A prohibited steps order (and any other form of child arrangements order) is legally binding. To not comply with a prohibited steps order can be viewed as contempt of court. If needed, an application can be made to court to enforce the order. For enforcement, it must be shown to the court beyond reasonable doubt that the order has been breached without reasonable excuse.

If a breach is found, the Court can consider making orders for the parent at breach to complete unpaid work, be fined, or in rare occasions imprisonment. The court can also consider varying the original order.

Conclusion

If you are considering making an application for a prohibited steps order, or you are the respondent in an application for a PSO, our expert family solicitors are able to assist. At George Green, our family solicitors regularly advise clients in respect of s8 orders, and more specifically, prohibited steps order. We advise clients needing to apply on an emergency, without notice basis as well as within the course of normal proceedings. Our family team are approachable and supportive and understand that dealing with such issues can be an emotional and stressful time. We aim to support clients in the best way possible by offering pragmatic advice taking into consideration the specific details of your matter.

If you would like more information in respect of prohibited steps orders, or child arrangements orders as a whole, please contact Alex Mansfield, Associate Solicitor at George Green on 01902 328365 or amansfield@georgegreen.co.uk.

Our offices are based in Wolverhampton, Cradley Heath and Sutton Coldfield and our Family Solicitors are happy to meet clients in person in one of our offices or via Ms Teams.