Child Arrangement Orders
You can apply for a single court order, or a number of them, depending on what you’ve been unable to agree on.
Arrangements for your child
A ‘child arrangements order’ decides:
- where your child lives
- when your child spends time with each parent
- when and what other types of contact, like phone calls, take place
‘Child arrangements orders’ replace ‘residence orders’ and ‘contact orders’. Parents with these orders don’t need to re-apply.
Your child’s upbringing
A ‘specific issue order’ is used to look at a specific question about how the child is being brought up, eg:
- what school they go to
- if they should have a religious education
You can also apply for a ‘prohibited steps order’ to stop the other parent from making a decision about the child’s upbringing.
Who can apply
The child’s mother, father or anyone with parental responsibility can apply for a court order.
Other people, like grandparents, can apply for these court orders, but they’ll need to get permission from the courts first.