What steps can I take if a parent is refusing to hand over a child's passport?

Where one parent refuses to hand over a child’s passport for a holiday it is possible to apply to the Court for a Specific Issue Order. In cases where the travel dates are imminent, it may be possible to make an urgent application.

A Specific Issue Order can order the uncooperative parent to release the passport, and this can be enforced through penalties such as fines.

In the event that retrieval of the passport fails, it may be possible to apply for a replacement passport and submit the court order to the Passport Office to bypass the other parents consent.