Which Court Order do I need to apply for in relation to my child?

You can apply for more than one type of court order.

The court will only make an order if it’s in the best interests of your child.

If you already have a court order in place you can apply to vary or enforce it. For example, if your ex-partner is not following the terms of the order.

Consent Order

If you’ve agreed on child arrangements with your ex-partner, you can apply for a consent order to make the agreement legally binding.

The consent order needs to be signed by both parents and can include details about how your child is looked after. A Judge or Magistrate will review and decide whether to approve the order.

You do not usually have to attend court.

Child Arrangements Order

A child arrangements order is when the court decides where your child lives, who they’ll spend time with and whether other types of contact will take place, for example phone calls.

Specific Issue Order

You can ask the court to help you agree on a specific issue, for example where your child should go to school.

Prohibited Steps Order

A prohibited steps order prohibits the other parent from undertaking certain action, for example taking the child abroad, moving to a different location, changing the child’s school etc.