Grandparental Rights and Visitation

Are you a grandparent that has been denied the right to see your grandchild after a divorce? If so, you may be entitled to petition for visitation rights if you wish to have set visits with your grandchildren.

While all 50 states currently have laws on the books that pertain to grandparent visitation rights, they do not all guarantee automatic rights. In some states, it is more difficult to obtain a visitation schedule with your grandchildren.

Most courts will give a greater weight to whether the parents of the child want the grandparents to have visitation rights, although everyone is given a chance to speak in court. Other relatives, such as stepparents, may also have the right to petition for visitation.

There are twenty states that have restrictive visitation laws that allow only grandparents to petition. In these cases, the petition will be considered only after the death of a parent or a divorce. However, as with any child visitation case, the court will always consider what is best for the child above all else.

If you have questions related to visitation rights or child custody, contact the Law Office of Michael Young today to get your questions answers by a Riverside family law attorney from our firm.