Prohibited steps orders & specific issue orders — deciding a single question, or stopping a single action

Who this is for. Sometimes the only thing you and your child's other parent disagree on is one specific thing — for example, which school your child should attend, whether your child's surname should change, whether your child can be taken out of the country, or whether your child will have a medical treatment. You may not need the court to sort out all the living-and-contact arrangements at all. If the single issue has become a genuine dispute, the family court can help with one of two targeted tools — a specific issue order or a prohibited steps order. This guide explains both in plain English, how you apply for them via the same C100 form, and how they fit alongside a child arrangements order. It does not give legal advice and it does not take sides.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-27

Two ways the court answers a single question

Before we get to the forms, it helps to understand the two orders you can ask for. Under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 the family court can make several types of order, and two of them deal with a specific issue rather than the whole of the arrangements:

a specific issue order — the court decides one particular question about the child's upbringing that the parents cannot agree on. GOV.UK's example is "where your child should go to school" (the C100 form itself gives the example of deciding whether a child's surname should be changed). The court gives instructions about one issue rather than the whole care plan.
a prohibited steps order — the court stops a specific action that a parent would otherwise be entitled to take. The clearest everyday example, from GOV.UK, is preventing a parent from taking the child out of the country. The order means a person must have the court's permission before doing something set out in the order that would normally be a parent's decision — for example, removing the child from a particular school.

So, in short: a specific issue order is about getting a decision made on one question, while a prohibited steps order is about stopping a particular step from being taken without permission. Both are about one discrete matter and are known as "Section 8 orders" under the Children Act 1989.

The court's north star is the child's welfare. Whatever the single issue, the court decides what is in the child's best interests — not which parent "wins", and not by mechanically doing what either adult wants.

How they relate to a child arrangements order

The third common type of Section 8 order is the child arrangements order — where the court decides where a child lives and who the child spends time with (and other forms of contact). The distinction matters because the three orders answer different questions:

a child arrangements order sets the broad picture of living and contact;
a specific issue order settles one particular disagreement (schooling, surname, medical treatment) that is not about daily living-and-contact;
a prohibited steps order blocks one particular action (like leaving the country) that a parent might otherwise take on their own authority.

You can ask for more than one of these at the same time — the C100 lets you tick the box for whichever type(s) of order you want. And if you already have a child arrangements order and a new single-issue dispute comes up, you can ask the court for a related specific issue or prohibited steps order on top of, or instead of, changing the existing arrangements. The orders work together, but they answer different questions.

Applying via the C100 form

There is one form for all three orders. The official Form C100 ("Application under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 for a child arrangements, prohibited steps, specific issue order…") is used whether you want a child arrangements order, a specific issue order, a prohibited steps order, or to vary or discharge an existing one. On the form you:

give the children's details (full names and dates of birth);
tick the box for whichever type(s) of order you are applying for (child arrangements, prohibited steps, and/or specific issue); and
describe the order you seek — for example, what specific issue you want decided, or what step you want stopped.

Apply online (recommended). Use the official online service at gov.uk/looking-after-children-divorce/apply-for-court-order. Applying online generally processes faster, and you have 28 days to complete an application once you start it.

Apply by paper. If you cannot apply online, download Form C100 (make sure you use the current version — it is updated, most recently 06.26) and send it to your child's local family court. By post you must send the original plus 3 copies of the form and of each supporting document.

Permission to apply. Most parents do not need the court's permission to apply. Some people — for example many grandparents, and a child applying about their own contact — must first get the court's permission. The C100 form explains this and has a section for applying for permission; the official CB1 guide (linked below) sets out exactly who needs it.

The MIAM. As with a child arrangements application, in most cases you must attend a MIAM — Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting — with an accredited family mediator before the court will accept your application (a legal requirement unless a valid exemption applies). A MIAM is not mediation; it is a single meeting to explore whether agreeing outside court is realistic. Some exemptions exist — for example if you have evidence you are a victim of domestic abuse, if your child is at risk of harm, if the matter is urgent, or if you are applying for a consent order. If you make allegations of harm or domestic abuse you will also need the supplementary Form C1A.

Fees and help with fees. There is a court fee to apply, and fees change — check the current amount on gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are. If you are on a low income or certain benefits you may get help with fees — apply at gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees.

What happens next

Once your application is accepted, the court serves it on the other parent and (as with a child arrangements application) your first hearing is usually a FHDRA — First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment — an exploratory hearing where the court identifies the issues, reviews the Cafcass safeguarding checks, and tries to settle the dispute or decide the next steps. Because a specific issue or prohibited steps application is usually narrower than a full child arrangements dispute, it may resolve more quickly — but the same broad process applies, and the court still makes its decision on the child's best interests.

A practical first-steps checklist

[ ] Try to agree first — speak to the other parent, or use mediation, before court. Court is a last resort even for a single issue.
[ ] Book your MIAM with an accredited family mediator (or confirm you have a genuine exemption).
[ ] Get the current C100 (and C1A if there are allegations of harm), and read the official CB1 guide to confirm whether you need permission to apply.
[ ] Be precise in the "nature of the order" box — for a specific issue order, name the exact question; for a prohibited steps order, name the exact step you want stopped.
[ ] Check the current court fee and apply for help with fees if you qualify.
[ ] Submit online, or post the original + 3 copies to your child's local family court (check the court address in this directory's court guides).
[ ] Note your case number and the date/venue of the FHDRA from the notice of hearing.
[ ] Co-operate with Cafcass and answer their safeguarding checks promptly.

Official sources (gov.uk / Cafcass)

Form C100 (child arrangements / prohibited steps / specific issue): gov.uk/government/publications/form-c100-application-under-the-children-act-1989-for-a-child-arrangements-prohibited-steps-specific-issue-section-8-order-or-to-vary-or-discharge
Apply for a court order / the online application: gov.uk/looking-after-children-divorce/apply-for-court-order
Making child arrangements if you separate (plain-English definitions of all three orders): gov.uk/looking-after-children-divorce
"Making an application: children and the family courts" (CB1): gov.uk/government/publications/family-court-applications-that-involve-children-cb1
Court fees: gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are · Help with fees: gov.uk/get-help-with-court-fees
Legal aid eligibility: gov.uk/legal-aid
Cafcass: cafcass.gov.uk

This is general information, not legal advice. It is not a substitute for advice from a qualified family-law solicitor or a regulated adviser, and it does not take sides or prejudge any case. Court fees, processes and forms change — always verify the current position on the official GOV.UK pages linked above before acting. If you believe you or your child are in immediate danger, call the police on 999; if you are a survivor of domestic abuse, contact Refuge (0808 2000 247) or Women's Aid. The family court decides each case on its evidence and on the best interests of the child.

YourFamilyCase is an independent, impartial information resource. We are not part of GOV.UK, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, or Cafcass, and we receive no payment or preferment from any mediator, solicitor, or agency named or linked in this guide. The information here is provided to help you understand the system; it does not replace professional legal advice.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.