section 7 orders

Court orders under the Children Act 1989 (not yet in force) that replace orders concerning custody of and access to children in matrimonial and other court proceedings. The orders include: residence orders, which settle the arrangements about where the child is to live; contact orders, which provide for what contact the child is to have with others (replacing *access orders); specific issues orders, which deal with any specific issue concerning the child’s upbringing; and prohibited steps orders, which prohibit certain specified steps being taken without the consent of the court. A court may make a section 7 order in any family proceedings (matrimonial and other proceedings in which children are involved, such as adoption proceedings). Section 7 orders can be made in favour of a wide range of people (not just the parents of the child). For example a residence order can be made in favour of anyone with whom the child has lived for the previous three years. Section 7 orders can usually only be made in respect of children up to the age of 16.