OpenLegislation

Section 8 Child arrangements orders and other orders with respect to children.F10I1

England and Wales

Changes not yet applied. Later legislation changes this provision in ways not yet written into the text below:

(1)

In this Act —

  • F1"child arrangements order" means an order regulating arrangements relating to any of the following—

    1. (a)

      with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and

    2. (b)

      when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person;

  • F2...

  • “a prohibited steps order” means an order that no step which could be taken by a parent in meeting his parental responsibility for a child, and which is of a kind specified in the order, shall be taken by any person without the consent of the court;

  • ...

  • “a specific issue order” means 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.

(2)

In this Act “a section 8 order” means any of the orders mentioned in subsection (1) and any order varying or discharging such an order.

(3)

For the purposes of this Act “family proceedings” means any proceedings—

(a)

under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court in relation to children; and

(b)

under the enactments mentioned in subsection (4),

but does not include proceedings on an application for leave under section 100(3).

(4)

The enactments are—

(a)

Parts I, II and IV of this Act;

(b)

the M1Matrimonial Causes Act 1973;

F3(ba)

Schedule 5 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004;

F4(c)

the M2 Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976;

(d)

the Adoption and Children Act 2002;

(e)

the M3Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1978;

F5(ea)

Schedule 6 to the Civil Partnership Act 2004;

(f)

sections 1 and 9 of the M4 Matrimonial Homes Act 1983;

(g)

Part III of the M5Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984;

F6(h)

the Family Law Act 1996;

F7(i)

sections 11 and 12 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;

F8(j)

Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (other than paragraph 3 of that Schedule).

F9(k)

Part 3 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, where the proceedings are in the family court or the Family Division of the High Court.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1

Words in s. 8(1) inserted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 12(3), 139(6); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10)

F2

Words in s. 8(1) omitted (22.4.2014) by virtue of Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 12(2), 139(6); S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10)

F3

S. 8(4)(ba) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 26(1), Sch. 27 para. 129(2); S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(2)

F4

S. 8(4)(c) and (f) repealed (1.10.1997) by 1996 c. 27, ss. 66(1)(3), Sch. 8 Pt. III para. 60(1), Sch. 10 (with Sch. 9 para. 5); S.I. 1997/1892, art. 3(1)(b)

F5

S. 8(4)(ea) inserted (5.12.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), s. 26(1), Sch. 27 para. 129(3); S.I. 2005/3175, art. 2(2)

F6

S. 8(4)(h) inserted (1.10.1997) by 1996 c. 27, ss. 66(1), Sch. 8 Pt. III para. 60(1); S.I. 1997/1892, art. 3(a)

F7

S. 8(4)(i) inserted (30.9.1998) by 1998 c. 37, s. 119, Sch. 8 para. 68; S.I. 1998/2327, art. 2(1)(y)(2)(u) (subject to arts. 5-8)

F8

S. 8(4)(j) inserted (15.3.2019) by Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2019 (c. 10), ss. 1(2), 2(2)

F9

S. 8(4)(k) inserted (27.11.2024 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 for E.W. in relation to specified areas, 5.3.2025 until the end of the specified period on 26.11.2025 in relation to the specified area, 11.3.2025 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to the specified areas, 28.4.2025 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to the specified areas) by Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (c. 17), ss. 52(1), 90(6); S.I. 2024/1191, regs. 1(2)(g), 2, 3(1) (with reg. 4); S.I. 2025/261, regs. 1(2)(f), 2, 3 (with reg. 4); S.I. 2025/319, regs. 1(2)(f), 2, 3 (with reg. 4); S.I. 2025/515, regs. 1(3)(e)(f), 2 (with reg. 3) (as amended (21.11.2025) by S.I. 2025/1222, regs. 1(2), 2, 3, 4 and (25.3.2026) by S.I. 2026/342, regs. 1(2), 2, 3, 4)

F10

Words in s. 8 heading substituted (22.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 2 para. 3; S.I. 2014/889, art. 4(f) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/1042, arts. 3, 4, 6-10)

Marginal citations

M1

1973 c. 18.

M2

1976 c. 50.

M3

1978 c. 22.

M4

1983 c. 19.

M5

1984 c. 42.

Commencement

I1

S. 8 wholly in force at the 14.10.1991 see s. 108(2)(3) and S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)