Can the respondent use FL403 to end a non-molestation order?

Yes. Section 49 of the Family Law Act 1996 lets the respondent, or the person who applied for the order, ask the court to vary or discharge it. The court decides on the evidence and circumstances.

My order ends next week. Is it too late to extend it?

You can apply on FL403 while the order is still in force. Once it has ended, gov.uk says you need a new application on form FL401.

Is there a fee for FL403?

The Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008, article 3A, says the general application fees are not payable in proceedings for non-molestation and occupation orders. Confirm with the court office when you apply.

We have both agreed to change the order. Is that enough?

No. The order stays in force on its existing terms until the court varies or discharges it. An agreed change still needs an application and the court's approval.

How quickly will there be a hearing?

For an extension, gov.uk says the court usually holds a hearing within three weeks of receiving the application. Your court's own listing may differ.

Form FL403: changing, extending or ending a non-molestation or occupation order

Family court · Protective orders · England and Wales · Last checked 23 October 2026

Short answer. Form FL403 is how either the person protected by a non-molestation or occupation order, or the person it is made against, asks the court that made it to vary, extend or discharge it. It can only be used while the order is still in force, so an extension has to be applied for before the end date. The fees rules say the general fees for applications within these proceedings are not payable, and gov.uk says the court usually lists a hearing within about three weeks of an extension application.

Key points

The current version is FL403 (06.26), updated on gov.uk on 1 June 2026.
It has four short sections: about you, the order and what you want, your reasons, and who must be served.
If an order has already ended, you cannot extend it; a fresh FL401 application is the route.
Keep your contact details off the form and use form C8 if they must stay private.
Do not serve the papers yourself; a court bailiff or process server does it.

Protective orders are made for a set period and on the facts as they stood at the time. Circumstances change, and section 49 of the Family Law Act 1996 lets either party ask the court to change or end an order. FL403 is the form for doing that.

What form FL403 is for

The form's full title is "Application to vary, extend or discharge an order in existing proceedings". It covers orders under Parts 4 and 4A of the Family Law Act 1996, which includes non-molestation and occupation orders. In plain terms:

vary means change the terms, for example a named road, a contact arrangement for a child handover, or the wording of a prohibition;
extend means keep the order running beyond its current end date;
discharge means bring the order to an end early.

Under section 49, an application can be made by the respondent or by the person on whose application the order was made. The court decides each application on its merits; making one does not mean the change will happen.

When you need it, and when you do not

Use FL403 when:

you were protected by the order and want it extended because it is close to ending, or want its terms changed;
you are the respondent and want the terms changed or the order discharged;
both of you agree a change and want the court to approve it (the court still decides).

You do not use FL403 when:

the order has already ended. Gov.uk says that once an injunction has ended, a new application is needed, which means a fresh form FL401;
you want to report a breach. Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence and is reported to the police. Where there is no power of arrest, the protected person can instead ask the court for an arrest warrant on form FL407;
the order is a domestic abuse protection order. DAPOs have their own forms (DA3 in the family court);
you are a respondent with a return hearing already fixed. If you were given a response form with a without notice order, that is how you tell the court whether you agree, do not oppose or oppose. FL403 is still available if you want to apply before the return date. See our guide to responding to a non-molestation order.

A without notice order should also tell you of your right to apply to set it aside or vary it. Read the order for how and when to do that, and act quickly: if a time limit applies, it runs from when the order was served on you. The 2026 President's Guidance on non-molestation orders says such an application should be listed urgently.

Fee and Help with Fees

Gov.uk's EX50 list does not name FL403 separately. The fees order itself, the Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008, article 3A, says fees 1.1, 5.1 and 5.3 (the general fees for starting proceedings and for applications within proceedings) are not payable in proceedings for a non-molestation order or an occupation order. Bailiff service of an application to vary, extend or discharge these orders is also listed as an exception to the bailiff fee in the same order. Because the court office applies the fees, it is sensible to confirm with the court when you send the form. If a fee were ever asked for, Help with Fees (form EX160) is the way to apply for a reduction; see our EX160 guide.

Before you start

The current form. At the time of checking, gov.uk shows FL403 (06.26). The June 2026 change was wording that directs you to the confidential details form.
A copy of the order you want changed. The form asks you to attach one if possible, and to give its date.
The case number and the court that made the order. The form notes that the application must go to the court that made the original order.
The exact change you want. If you are asking to vary or extend, the form asks you to set out the order you would like the court to make. Have the current wording beside you.
Names and addresses for service. The application is served on the respondent and on the person protected by the order.
Any supporting evidence. The form only asks for brief reasons. If you rely on events since the order, the court may direct a statement.

Section by section

Front page

The name of the court you are applying to, and a warning that an individual applicant must not serve the documents on the other person themselves.

Section 1: About you (the applicant)

Title, full name, address and phone, and date of birth only if you are under 18. If your contact details must stay private from the other people in the case, leave them blank and complete form C8, and make sure nothing else you send discloses them. Questions 1.6 to 1.11 are for a solicitor's details. Question 1.12 asks your role if you are already a party: applicant, respondent or other. Note that on FL403 "applicant" means whoever is making this application, which may be the respondent to the original order.

Section 2: The order(s) for which you are applying

Tick vary, extend or discharge, give the date of the order, and, for a variation or extension, describe the order you want the court to make. Precise wording helps: which numbered paragraph changes, what it should say instead, and the new end date you are asking for.

Section 3: Your reason(s) for applying

A brief statement of why. For an extension, this is usually what has or has not changed and why the protection is still sought. For a variation, it might be a practical problem with the current wording, such as a route that has to be used for school. For a discharge, what has changed since the order was made. Keep it factual and short; the court can ask for more.

Section 4: Person(s) to be served

The name and address of each respondent to this application. If more than two people are involved and one person's details must be kept from another, leave them blank and use form C8.

Statement of truth

Signed by you or your legal representative, with the standard contempt of court warning about false statements.

Common mistakes

Waiting until after the end date to apply for an extension.
Ticking "vary" without saying what the new term should be.
Sending it to a different court from the one that made the order.
Writing a confidential address in section 1 or section 4, or in an attached document.
Treating the FL403 as a full statement, or attaching a long narrative the court has not asked for.
Assuming that an agreement between you changes the order. Only the court can vary or discharge it, and until it does, the existing terms apply in full.

What happens next and deadlines

For an extension, gov.uk says the court will usually hold a hearing within three weeks of receiving the application, and you get the decision at the hearing or by email or post if you do not attend. The service and privacy rules for the original application also apply to FL403 applications (FPR 10.8 applies rules 10.5 to 10.7), so the hearing is in private and the papers are served personally, not by you. Ask the court to arrange bailiff service with form D89, or use a process server; whoever serves completes form FL415, the statement of service.

If the court varies or discharges a non-molestation order, the court office tells the police station that holds the original order (FPR 10.10). Where a power of arrest was attached to an occupation order made without notice, section 49(4) lets the court vary or discharge the order so far as it confers that power, whether or not anything else in the order changes.

Official form

Download form FL403 from gov.uk. A Welsh version is on the same page. Gov.uk's guide to extending an existing injunction explains the extension route.

Free help

Legal aid can cover advice on these orders for applicants and respondents, subject to the usual means and merits tests. Check if you can get legal aid on gov.uk. Rights of Women runs legal advice lines for women, and the Men's Advice Line supports male victims of domestic abuse; these organisations are independent and do not endorse EvidenceCanvas. If you want to know what representation could add at a hearing, our page on getting a lawyer for a non-molestation hearing sets out the factors.

Where EvidenceCanvas fits, and where it does not. EvidenceCanvas does not fill in, file or serve form FL403, and it does not decide whether an order should be extended, changed or ended. If the court asks for a statement, it can draft one from your own documents, with each date shown alongside where it was found, for you to check and sign.

Questions people ask

Can the respondent use FL403 to end a non-molestation order?: Yes. Section 49 of the Family Law Act 1996 lets the respondent, or the person who applied for the order, ask the court to vary or discharge it. The court decides on the evidence and circumstances.
My order ends next week. Is it too late to extend it?: You can apply on FL403 while the order is still in force. Once it has ended, gov.uk says you need a new application on form FL401.
Is there a fee for FL403?: The Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008, article 3A, says the general application fees are not payable in proceedings for non-molestation and occupation orders. Confirm with the court office when you apply.
We have both agreed to change the order. Is that enough?: No. The order stays in force on its existing terms until the court varies or discharges it. An agreed change still needs an application and the court's approval.
How quickly will there be a hearing?: For an extension, gov.uk says the court usually holds a hearing within three weeks of receiving the application. Your court's own listing may differ.

Checked on 23 October 2026: gov.uk FL403 page and FL403 (06.26) PDF; gov.uk: extend an existing injunction; Family Law Act 1996 s.49; Family Proceedings Fees Order 2008 art.3A; FPR Part 10 and Part 18; gov.uk FL415. General information for England and Wales, not legal advice. Your court's directions take priority over this guide.