A Prohibited Steps Order is an order which prohibits a party (usually a parent) from a certain activity relating to a child(ren). It also prohibits a party from exercising their parental responsibility. An example of where a Prohibited Steps Order might be applied for is to prevent one parent from taking a child out of the country or jurisdiction or removal of care from the other parent. A PSO may be made in the course of proceedings concerning the child (in conjunction with another Child Arrangements Order under s8 of the Children Act 1989) or as a stand-alone application to the Court.
A Prohibited Steps Order is a court order obtained by one parent to stop the other parent from making unilateral decisions about their child’s upbringing.
A PSO could prevent:
- The parent from moving a child from their school/nursery
- The child coming into contact with another person (e.g. your ex-partner’s new partner)
- The parent from moving a child outside of this jurisdiction
- The parent moving a child from their home or local vicinity
- A parent allowing a child to undergo any dangerous medical treatment
- Changing of a child’s surname
A PSO normally lasts until the child turns 16 or until the child is 18 in limited circumstances.