The court has the power to intervene when a divorcing or separating couple disagrees on decisions about their children.
Our lawyers can make the application to court for you, often on an urgent basis, to make sure you retain control of the decisions that affect your children.
How can the court help if you cannot agree over important decisions for the children?
Specific issue orders
If you and your ex-partner have different views on your child’s upbringing or wellbeing, you can apply to the court for permission to take a certain course of action.
A specific issue order is a formal declaration that the parent is allowed to take a particular action that affects their child.
It might be a decision about:
- Where the child goes to school
- Whether or not they should have a religious education
- Decisions about medical treatment or surgery for the child
- Taking the child abroad temporarily or permanently.
If both parents (or people with parental responsibility) have strong, but opposing views on these decisions, then a court can resolve the dispute and grant one parent the right to take action.
Prohibited steps orders
A prohibited steps order can stop your partner from making decisions about your children, such as:
- Taking them to live in another country
- Removing your child from a school
- Changing the surname of your child
- Making a unilateral decision about your child’s medical care
