Application for a Contact Order (Section 26 Adoption and Children Act 2002 or an order for contact or prohibiting contact under section 51A of the Adoption and Children Act 2002)
| Published date | 21 March 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Adoption forms |
Application for a contact order under section 26
of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 or an order
under section 51A of the Act (Form A53)
Notes on completing the form
Important
This form is for use only if you are applying for a contact order under Section 26 of the
Adoption and Children Act 2002 or an order under section 51A of that Act.
If you are attaching any previous court order to your application, it must be a sealed copy
of the order (that is, a copy that has been stamped with the seal of the court) or a certied
copy if made by a magistrates’ court (a copy certied by the court ofcer to be a true copy of
the original order), or a copy that bears the stamp of the originating court. An order issued
by any other authority must be properly authenticated by that authority. If you are in any
doubt about what is needed, please contact the court for assistance.
Take or send the completed application form, and three copies, to the court, together with
the court fee and any documents you are attaching in support of your application. If you
are not sure about the court fee payable for your application, or you think that you may be
exempt from paying all or part of the fee, you should contact the court for information.
Notes on the application form
Application under section 26:-
Where a child under six weeks old has been placed for adoption under the Adoption and
Children Act 2002 or an adoption agency is authorised to place a child for adoption under
the Act, contact with the child may only be:
• by arrangement with the agency that has placed the child, or is authorised to do so, or
• by a court order made under section 26 of the 2002 Act.
Any existing provision for contact with the child made under the Children Act 1989 ceases
to have effect (section 26(1) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002).
An application to the court for a contact order may be made by:
• the child;
• the adoption agency;
• any parent, guardian or relative;*
• any person in whose favour there was a child arrangements order determining with
whom the child should have contact under the Children Act 1989 which ceased to have
effect by virtue of section 26(1) of the 2002 Act;
• a person who had the benet of a child arrangements order determining where the child
should live immediately before the adoption agency was authorised to place the child for
adoption, or placed the child for adoption at a time when he/she was less than six weeks
old;
• a person who by virtue of an order made in the exercise of the High Court’s inherent
jurisdiction with respect to children (wardship) had care of the child immediately before
the adoption agency was authorised to place the child for adoption, or placed the child
for adoption at a time when he/she was less than six weeks old; or
• any person who has the permission of the court to make the application. An application
for the court’s permission must be made under Part 18 of the Family Procedure Rules
2010, using form FP2.
Note 1
A53 Notes Application for a contact order under section 26 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 or an order under section 51A of the Act (Form A53) -
Notes on completing the form (11.16) © Crown copyright 2016
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