As an unmarried father, can I stop the mother taking the child?

If an unmarried father without parental responsibility fears that his child will be taken to another part of the UK, then he could consider getting a prohibited steps order and/or a residence order. (If an unmarried father without parental responsibility is granted a residence order, he will automatically receive parental responsibility.)

A prohibited steps order, if granted by the courts, will prevent the mother taking the child. A residence order if granted by the courts will decide where the child shall live.

If an unmarried father without parental responsibility fears that his child will be abducted and taken out of the UK, there are some steps he can take to prevent this. If the father has not managed to prevent this, he may be able to rely on international law, which will aim to return the child to his or her place of residence if it can be show that the father without parental responsibility has had regular contact with his child.

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