Grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren in many situations. However, sometimes a grandparent’s role is not clear. Whether due to a difficult relationship with their grandchildren’s parents, or another reason entirely, sometimes grandparents must work with a family law attorney to assert their rights. At Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell we can help with that. Read on to learn more and then contact us at (909) 920-0908 for a free consultation.
Neary 3 Million Grandparents in the United States Are the Primary Caregivers for Their Grandchildren
You may be surprised to learn that in the United States, there are 2.7 million grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. They may have had to step in because their children could not provide a safe environment. This could happen due to issue such as substance abuse, mental illness, or domestic violence. Grandparents can also take over when the parents are deployed or if a parent dies.
Grandparents Have Visitation Rights in California
If you are a grandparent and your grandchildren’s parents will not let you see your children, then you may have rights of visitation. This may also be true if the child lives with someone else, such as a foster care family. However, in order for the state to grant you visitation, you must have a pre-existing relationship with your grandchild, it must be decided that it is in the best interest of the child for you to see them, and the court must decide that the parents cannot be trusted to make the right decisions for their children.
Situations in Which Grandparents Can Request Visitation
In most cases, if the parents of the grandchildren are married to each other, grandparents do not have the right to petition the court for visitation rights. However, there are exceptions including situations in which the parents do not live together, the parents have separated, one parent has been missing for at least 30 days, one parents petitions with the grandparent, the child doesn’t live with either of the parents, or a stepparent adopted the grandchild.
We Can Help with Complicated Grandparent Visitation Cases
Of course, the above information is all general. There are exceptions. There are unique situations that require a careful consideration to discover what the options are. When you choose to work with Law Offices of Torrence L. Howell, you are choosing to work with an attorney who has many years of experience with these and other types of visitation cases. Call us now at (909) 920-0908 for your free legal consultation.
