Types of Family Law Orders

Private Children Law Orders

Type of order	Description	Application form	Guidance form	Costs
Child Arrangements Order Section 8 Children Act 1989	A Child Arrangements Order decides the arrangements for whom a child is to live with, spend time with or otherwise have contact with and when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person.	C100	CB1	£255
Child Arrangements Order (Consent Order)	If an agreement can be reached regarding the arrangements for a whom a child is to live with and spend time with then a Consent Order can be applied for. Consent Orders provide a mechanism to make an informal agreement legally binding and therefore enforceable through the Family Court.	C100	CB1	£255
Specific Issue Order Section 8 Children Act 1989	An order giving directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child.	C100	CB1	£255
Prohibited Steps Order Section 8 Children Act 1989	An order that can be granted by the court to stop one parent from exercising their parental responsibility in a way that is not in the child’s best interests.	C100	CB1	£255
Vary or Discharge a Child Arrangements Order, Specific Issue Order or Prohibited Steps Order Section 8 Children Act 1989	An application can be made to vary or discharge any section 8 order.	C100	CB1	£255
Enforcement of Child Arrangements Order Section 11J Children Act 1989	An application for an Enforcement Order can be sought due to the breakdown of a Child Arrangements Order. The court can only make an Enforcement Order if it is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to keep to the Child Arrangements Order. The court cannot make an Enforcement Order if it is satisfied that the person had a reasonable excuse for failing to keep to the Child Arrangements Order.	C79	CB5	£255
Breach of a subsequent enforcement order	An application to revoke, amend, extend or take action following the breach of an existing Enforcement Order.	C79	CB5	£112
Attach a warning notice to a Contact Order	If a Contact Order has been granted prior to 8th December 2008, the person with whom the child is to have contact with under the order may need to apply for a Warning Notice to be attached to the Contact Order before they can apply for enforcement.	C78	CB5	£50
Declaration of Parentage Section 55A Family Law Act 1986	An application to request that the court determine a child’s parentage.	C63		£402
Parental Responsibility Order Section 4(1)(c) Children Act 1989	An order which unmarried fathers can apply for when the mother refuses to allow the father to be registered or re-registered on the birth certificate, or refuses to sign a Parental Responsibility Agreement with him.	C1	CB1	£255
Step- Parental Responsibility Order Section 4A(1)(b) Children Act 1989	A step-parent can apply for a Step-Parental Responsibility Order if they are married to or in a civil partnership with the mother or father of the child.	C1	CB1	£255
Appointment of a Guardian Section 5 Children Act 1989	A guardian appointed under this section will generally take over parental responsibility for the child after the death of a parent.	C1		£255
Discharge of a Guardian Section 6(7) Children Act 1989	Any appointment of a guardian under Section 5 may be brought to an end at any time by order of the court on the application of any person who has parental responsibility for the child; on the application of the child concerned, with leave of the court; or in any family proceedings, if the court considers that it should be brought to an end even though no application has been made.	C1		£255
Removal from Jurisdiction Order Sections 13(1) or 14C of the Children Act 1989	An order granting a parent permission to remove the child from the jurisdiction of England and Wales. This may be for a temporary period or longer-term/permanent period.	C1	CB1	£255
Special Guardianship Order Section 14A Children Act 1989	An order made by the Family Court that places a child or young person to live with someone other than their parent(s) on a long-term basis. The person(s) with whom a child is placed will become the child’s Special Guardian.	C1, C13A	CB4	£255
Discharge of Special Guardianship Order Section 14 D(1) Children Act 1989	The court may discharge a Special Guardianship Order on the application of the prescribed persons under section 14D(1) Children Act 1989.	C1	CB4	£255
An order in existing proceedings	An application to request directions in Children Act proceedings, and to request orders (other than S.8) in existing proceedings.	C2	CB1	£184
To be joined as a party to proceedings	An application to be made a party to proceedings which you are not automatically a party to.	C2	CB1	£184
Permission to apply for a court order	An application to seek permission from the court to apply for an order if you are not automatically permitted to apply for the order.	C2	CB1	£0
Order authorising the search for, taking charge of and delivery of a child Section 34 Family Law Act 1986	An order that instructs the police and authorises the use of force to recover a child and deliver the child to the person named in the order.	C3		£255
Order for disclosure of a child’s whereabouts Section 33 Family Law Act 1987	If there are ongoing proceedings for a Section 8 Order or wardship, the court has the power to issue an order for any person to disclose the whereabouts of a child if his whereabouts are not known. Any person with a legitimate interest in the court proceedings may apply for the order.	C4		£0
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Agreements

Type of Agreement

Description

Application Form

Guidance Form

Cost

Parental Responsibility Agreement

Section 4(1)(b) Children Act 1989

Parents can use this form to record an agreement that the biological father should be granted parental responsibility for the child.

C(PRA1)

Guidance is contained on the application form

£0

Step- Parental Responsibility Agreement

Section 4A(1)(a) Children Act 1989

Record an agreement between a child’s parents and a step-parent (who is the spouse or civil partner of a parent) that the step-parent should have parental responsibility for the child.

C(PRA2)

Guidance is contained on the application form

£0

Adoption

Type of Order

Description

Application Form

Guidance Form

Cost

Adoption Order

Section 46 Adoption and Children Act 2002

An application for a non- agency adoption.

Non-agency adoption is the name given to adoption applications which involve a child who has not been placed with the prospective adopter by an adoption agency.

A58

A58 Notes

£201

Post- Adoption Contact

Section 51A Adoption and Children Act 2002

An order requiring the adoptive parent to allow the child to have contact with the person named in the order or prohibiting the person named in the order from having contact with the child.

A53

A53 Notes

£201

Protective Injuctions

Type of Order	Description	Application Form	Guidance Form	Cost
Non- Molestation Order Section 42 Family Law Act 1996	A Non-Molestation Order prevents the Respondent from using or threatening violence against you (and if applicable, your child/children) or intimidating, harassing or pestering you. This is to ensure your health, safety and well-being (and if applicable that of your child/children).	FL401	FL700	£0
Occupation Order Section 33 Family Law Act 1996	An Occupation Order controls who can live in a property. It can also restrict the Respondent from entering a certain area. If you do not feel safe living with the Respondent or you have left because of violence or intimidation and want to return without the Respondent being there, the order you would apply for is an Occupation Order.	FL401	FL700	£0
Vary, extend or discharge a Non- Molestation Order or Occupation Order Parts 4 and 4A Family Law Act 1996	An application can be made to vary, extend or discharge a Non- Molestation Order or Occupation Order. Please note only the respondent’s first attempt to challenge a Non-Molestation Order is free. Any further attempts require a fee of £95.	FL403		£0

Supplementary Application Forms

Type of Form	Description	Application Form	Guidance Form	Cost
Fee Exemption Form	If you are on a low income or in receipt of benefits then you can apply for help with the court application fee by completing this application form.	EX160	EX160A	£0
For contact details to remain confidential	If you do not wish for your address or phone number to be disclosed to the Respondent then you can apply for your contact details to remain confidential by completing this application form.	C8		£0
Mediation Form (not used with a C100 application)	If you are making an application on form C1 or C2 then you must submit this supplementary form to evidence that you have attended a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting or to exempt yourself from attending (if an exemption applies in your circumstances).	FM1		£0

This information is correct at the time of writing, 5th September 2024. The law in this area is subject to change.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre cannot be held responsible if changes to the law outdate this publication. Individuals may print or photocopy information in CCLC publications for their personal use.

Professionals, organisations and institutions must obtain permission from the CCLC to print or photocopy our publications in full or in part.

Christmas Closure

Private Children Law Orders

Child Arrangements Order

A Child Arrangements Order decides the arrangements for whom a child is to live with, spend time with or otherwise have contact with and when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person.

£255

Child Arrangements Order (Consent Order)

If an agreement can be reached regarding the arrangements for a whom a child is to live with and spend time with then a Consent Order can be applied for.

Consent Orders provide a mechanism to make an informal agreement legally binding and therefore enforceable through the Family Court.

£255

Specific Issue Order

An order giving directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child.

£255

Prohibited Steps Order

An order that can be granted by the court to stop one parent from exercising their parental responsibility in a way that is not in the child’s best interests.

£255

Vary or Discharge a Child Arrangements Order, Specific Issue Order or Prohibited Steps Order

An application can be made to vary or discharge any section 8 order.

£255

Enforcement of Child Arrangements Order

An application for an Enforcement Order can be sought due to the breakdown of a Child Arrangements Order.

£255

Breach of a subsequent enforcement order

An application to revoke, amend, extend or take action following the breach of an existing Enforcement Order.

£112

Attach a warning notice to a Contact Order

If a Contact Order has been granted prior to 8th December 2008, the person with whom the child is to have contact with under the order may need to apply for a Warning Notice to be attached to the Contact Order before they can apply for enforcement.

£50

Declaration of Parentage

An application to request that the court determine a child’s parentage.

£402

Parental Responsibility Order

An order which unmarried fathers can apply for when the mother refuses to allow the father to be registered or re-registered on the birth certificate, or refuses to sign a Parental Responsibility Agreement with him.

£255

Step- Parental Responsibility Order

A step-parent can apply for a Step-Parental Responsibility Order if they are married to or in a civil partnership with the mother or father of the child.

£255

Appointment of a Guardian

A guardian appointed under this section will generally take over parental responsibility for the child after the death of a parent.

£255

Discharge of a Guardian

£255

Removal from Jurisdiction Order

Sections 13(1) or 14C of the Children Act 1989

An order granting a parent permission to remove the child from the jurisdiction of England and Wales. This may be for a temporary period or longer-term/permanent period.

£255

Special Guardianship Order

An order made by the Family Court that places a child or young person to live with someone other than their parent(s) on a long-term basis. The person(s) with whom a child is placed will become the child’s Special Guardian.

C1, C13A

£255

Discharge of Special Guardianship Order

The court may discharge a Special Guardianship Order on the application of the prescribed persons under section 14D(1) Children Act 1989.

£255

An order in existing proceedings

An application to request directions in Children Act proceedings, and to request orders (other than S.8) in existing proceedings.

£184

To be joined as a party to proceedings

An application to be made a party to proceedings which you are not automatically a party to.

£184

Permission to apply for a court order

An application to seek permission from the court to apply for an order if you are not automatically permitted to apply for the order.

£0

Order authorising the search for, taking charge of and delivery of a child

An order that instructs the police and authorises the use of force to recover a child and deliver the child to the person named in the order.

£255

Order for disclosure of a child’s whereabouts

If there are ongoing proceedings for a Section 8 Order or wardship, the court has the power to issue an order for any person to disclose the whereabouts of a child if his whereabouts are not known.

Any person with a legitimate interest in the court proceedings may apply for the order.

£0

.

Agreements

Parental Responsibility Agreement

Parents can use this form to record an agreement that the biological father should be granted parental responsibility for the child.

Guidance is contained on the application form

£0

Step- Parental Responsibility Agreement

Record an agreement between a child’s parents and a step-parent (who is the spouse or civil partner of a parent) that the step-parent should have parental responsibility for the child.

Guidance is contained on the application form

£0

Adoption