Child arrangements order

Child arrangements orders regulate with whom a child is to reside, spend time or otherwise have contact with.

For example, if you and your partner have separated and you want your child to live with you, but cannot agree on this, then you will need to apply to the court for a CAO regulating your child’s living arrangements.

Alternatively if you have agreed that your child will live with one parent but cannot agree the amount of time that your child will spend with the non-resident parent, you will need to apply to the court for a CAO regulating contact arrangements.

A CAO regulating contact arrangements requires the person with whom the child lives to allow the child to visit or stay with the person named in the order, or for that person and the child to otherwise have contact with each other.

Prohibited steps order

A person with parental responsibility over a child has the right to make independent decisions about certain matters in relation to their child (ren). Where two or more people share parental responsibility and one disagrees with the decision of the other, they can apply for a Prohibited Steps Order restricting the other person’s ability to exercise their parental responsibility rights. If granted, such an Order will result in them being unable to independently remove the child from the Country or even the area where they currently live, or can prevent the child from being sent to a school which the applying person believes would not be in their best interests of attending.

Specific issue order

Specific issue order is an order giving court’s direction on a specific issue which has arisen or which may arise in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for child.