Forced Marriage Protection Order guide: how it works, when to apply, and how Freedom Charity can help
Freedom Charity has a full Forced Marriage Protection Order Guide .
A Forced Marriage Protection Order is one of the strongest legal tools available in England and Wales to protect someone at risk of forced marriage. Under Part 4A of the Family Law Act 1996, the Family Court can make a Forced Marriage Protection Order to stop travel, prevent a ceremony, restrict contact and protect someone after a forced marriage has taken place. Although the order is civil, breach is also a criminal offence.
Forced marriage is also a separate criminal offence. In England and Wales, the law makes it a crime to use violence, threats or other coercion to force someone to marry without free and full consent. The offence also covers conduct intended to cause a child to marry. The maximum sentence for that offence is seven years’ imprisonment.
That distinction matters. A Forced Marriage Protection Order gives urgent civil protection. Criminal law punishes the offending behaviour. In many cases, both routes matter at the same time. Official guidance also makes clear that professionals should treat forced marriage as a safeguarding issue linked to child abuse, domestic abuse and wider violence.
What is a Forced Marriage Protection Order?
A Forced Marriage Protection Order is an order of the Family Court. It protects a person from being forced into marriage and can also protect someone who has already been forced into marriage. Judges can shape the order around the facts of the case. The court may act against the main perpetrator as well as others who assist, encourage or arrange the forced marriage.
These powers are practical. A judge can stop travel, require passports to be handed in, restrict contact and prevent steps towards a ceremony. The court can also stop someone from removing a child or young person from the jurisdiction without permission.
Who can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order?
The person at risk can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order. A relevant third party can also apply. Another person may apply with the court’s permission. The main application form is FL401A. Where permission is needed, the applicant must also file FL430. Anyone who needs to keep an address confidential should use Form C8.
There is no court fee for a Forced Marriage Protection Order application. GOV.UK also states that legal aid is available for applications and for committal proceedings linked to breach.
How do you apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order?
Applicants use FL401A to apply to the Family Court. The application should explain what protection the court is being asked to provide. It should also set out the violence used, threatened or feared. Where the case is urgent and the applicant wants the court to act without telling the respondent first, the applicant must also file a sworn statement.
Good safeguarding makes a difference here. Courts need a clear picture of the risk. They need to understand the urgency, the pattern of coercion and any danger linked to travel. A weak account can hide a strong case.
Can the court make a Forced Marriage Protection Order quickly?
Yes. In an urgent case, the court can hear a Forced Marriage Protection Order application straightaway. It can also make the order without notice to the respondent. That step allows the court to act first and notify the respondent afterwards where immediate protection is needed. A further hearing usually follows.
Speed matters in these cases. Risk can escalate quickly. Families may bring travel forward. Perpetrators may arrange a ceremony at speed. Delay can strip the law of its practical value.
What evidence helps the court?
The court does not need a polished criminal case file before it can make a Forced Marriage Protection Order. Instead, it needs a clear and factual account of the risk. Useful evidence may include sudden travel plans, threats, messages, school concerns, restrictions on movement, fear linked to holidays, prior family history, surveillance, or evidence that the person cannot speak freely. Official guidance also recognises that people at risk may feel too frightened or isolated to take legal action on their own.
The key point is simple. Forced marriage often follows a pattern of coercion. It is not always one dramatic incident.
What happens if a Forced Marriage Protection Order is breached?
Breach of a Forced Marriage Protection Order is a criminal offence. The maximum sentence is five years’ imprisonment. GOV.UK also states that the family court or the criminal courts can deal with a breach.
That gives the order real force. A Forced Marriage Protection Order is not a warning letter. It is an enforceable court order.
Strengths and limits of a Forced Marriage Protection Order
A Forced Marriage Protection Order is powerful because it is flexible, urgent and free to apply for. It can stop travel, protect someone before a marriage takes place and protect someone after a forced marriage.
Practical limits still matter. The order works best when professionals act early and handle the case safely. Statutory guidance also notes that a Forced Marriage Protection Order is not specifically enforceable in other jurisdictions. Where someone has already been taken overseas, the High Court may need to use its inherent jurisdiction alongside the statutory powers. That is why early action matters so much.
What should happen tonight if the risk is immediate?
Treat the case as an urgent safeguarding. Call the police if there is immediate danger. Seek urgent legal advice. Consider a without-notice Forced Marriage Protection Order. The forced marriage guidance also says professionals can contact airport police in urgent cases. It further notes that Border Force staff do not have the power to stop a person leaving the UK.
In these cases, timing is critical. Even a short delay can change the risk completely.
Why Freedom Charity may use But It’s Not Fair or Cut Flowers
Sometimes a child or young person does not yet understand that what is happening is abuse. That is why Freedom Charity may use, But It’s Not Fair or Cut Flowers as part of practical support. Through the story, a reader may recognise control, secrecy and risk. The books can also help a child identify with a character and find words for what is happening. These books do not replace legal advice, police action or safeguarding intervention. They can, however, help someone understand the danger earlier and speak sooner.
Why professionals should come to Freedom Charity for Forced Marriage Protection Order Guide
Freedom Charity understands the law. We also understand the lived pattern behind the law. A Forced Marriage Protection Order application is stronger when professionals recognise the risk early, explain the urgency properly and handle the person at risk with care.
Teachers, police officers, lawyers, social workers and safeguarding leads should know that Freedom Charity can help them think clearly about when to apply, what evidence matters, what risks must be managed and how to support the person at risk alongside the legal process.
FAQs
Can a Forced Marriage Protection Order stop someone being taken abroad?
Yes. A Forced Marriage Protection Order can ask the court to stop someone from being taken abroad for a forced marriage. The guidance also refers to passport surrender and restrictions on leaving the jurisdiction.
Do you need to wait until a wedding date is fixed?
No. A Forced Marriage Protection Order is designed to prevent harm. The court does not need to wait for a ceremony date before acting.
Is there a court fee for a Forced Marriage Protection Order?
No. GOV.UK states that there is no court fee for applying for a Forced Marriage Protection Order.
Is breach of a Forced Marriage Protection Order a criminal offence?
Yes. Breach of a Forced Marriage Protection Order is a criminal offence and can lead to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Aneeta Prem, London 2 April 2026