A Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) is a court order made under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 that prevents a parent or person with parental responsibility from taking a specific action in relation to a child without the prior consent of the court. These orders are designed to protect children's welfare.
Common examples include preventing a parent from removing a child from the country, changing a child's school, or changing a child's surname. At Tracenet Legal Services, we serve prohibited steps orders with the professionalism and sensitivity that family court matters demand.
A Prohibited Steps Order must be personally served on the respondent to be enforceable. The respondent must be made aware of the specific prohibitions so they know exactly what they are prevented from doing. Breach of the order can result in contempt of court proceedings.