Children Law: Can a parent be restricted from making further Court Applications?

When the court is considering an application for a Child Arrangement Order, the court has the power to order that no further applications can be made in respect of the children without the express permission of the court.

These orders are often called barring orders, or a ‘section 91(14) bar’.

The bar does not prohibit the parent concerned from making future applications, but it acts as a filter that requires the parent to obtain permission from the court before an application can be made. This removes the parent’s automatic right to make an application that they would otherwise be entitled to.

The purpose of a section 91(14) bar is to prevent unnecessary and disruptive applications being made to the court. If there has been a history of applications and the court considers that future unmeritorious applications are not in the child’s best interest, the court can make the barring order.  The welfare of the child concerned will be the court’s paramount consideration.

The duration of the bar should be clearly outlined in the order, after which date the restriction will be lifted. 

If you would like any further information or advice in relation to Applications under the Children Act 1989, please contact our specialist family lawyers: Mark Vandaele on 01902 796930 (mvandaele@georgegreen.co.uk) at our Wolverhampton office or Rachel Baker on 01384 340 580 (rbaker@georgegreen.co.uk) at our Cradley Heath office.