There are three main orders in children proceedings.
A child arrangements order governs what people normally call “custody and access” or “residence and contact”. It will set out where the children live, and when and how they spend time with the other parent. These orders are very flexible in what they provide and are often agreed by consent.
A specific issue order may be necessary when parents disagree about an issue unrelated to contact. This could be a dispute about which school a child goes to, whether a child is circumcised or what a child’s surname would be. Applications for permission to live abroad are generally brought under this heading.
A prohibited steps order is an order which prevents a parent from doing something. These are not usually related to contact, but for example could involve stopping a parent taking the child out of the country, or stopping them from spending time with a specific relative or new partner.
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