September 15, 2011
Across the country hundreds of thousands of grandparents raising grandchildren do not get sufficient rights or help. They gladly take on the role as the primary caregiver, but they hope to gain some of the same support afforded to foster parents. Grandparents from across the state and country are rallying to raise awareness about the lack of support they receive, in contrast to the foster care system, when raising grandchildren. The fourth annual Grand Rally is taking place today in […]
September 13, 2011
A new California law makes it a misdemeanor for anyone providing care or direct supervision to a person who is at least 65 years old to coerce or deceive that senior into voting contrary to the senior citizen’s intent. Senior voting rights are an important emerging part of Elder Law in the USA. Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s bill AB 547, a measure to protect senior citizens from voter fraud and abuse, has been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown and […]
September 6, 2011
Grandparents raising grandchildren is not a new phenomenon. It is, however, a rapidly growing one. Census data shows that the incidence of increased grandparent involvement in raising their own grandchildren is getting more and more common. As of 2010 about 6 million children, nearly 8 percent of all children, were recorded as living with grandparents identified as head of household. That number is nearly twice what it was in the 2000 census. Sometimes grandparents must take over a child who […]
September 1, 2011
When you are trying to gain grandparents visitation rights, it really is essential that you do things correctly. If you don’t, the consequences can be devastating. You could wind up without regular visitation, or even no visitation. Of course, things could also go smoothly, but do you really want to take that chance? It is during the time of a divorce in which your grandchildren are involved that you need to act. During this time courts will allow both parties […]
August 28, 2011
More and more these days, people are asking me about Elder Law. As the nation ages, it has become an important part of our legal system. Grandparent rights are part of Elder Law, but they are not the only part. If you don’t know what Elder Law is, you should learn. Elder Law is a composition of legislations that determine the rights and obligations that apply to those who are considered elderly. Elder applies to anyone who is, knows, or […]
August 22, 2011
In the state of South Carolina, the courts have the power to order grandparents visitation if a parent is deceased or if parents are divorced or living separately. As in all of the 50 states, the court must find that visitation would be in the best interests of the child. In addition, the court must find that visitation would not interfere with the parent-child relationship. The court is also directed to consider the nature of the relationship between the child […]
August 20, 2011
Check out this video about grandparents rights during a divorce in NC. This a great primer for those needing legal advice. It should help start you on your way toward finding out what you need to do to protect your grandparents rights. For more detailed information, take a look at my book No Greater Loss which deals with these issues in-depth.
August 17, 2011
Grandparents can be awarded custody of their grandchild or grandchildren under certain circumstances. However, there will need to be a compelling reason for grandparents custody to be awarded if either parent of the child is alive and capable of or interested in parenting the child. There is a strong presumption in favor of a parent’s right to be a parent, which means that grandparents will have a strong burden of proof to meet if they wish to obtain custody while […]
August 15, 2011
The number of children being raised by their grandparents has risen sharply since the start of the recession in 2007, according to a Pew Research Center study that found one in 10 children in the US now lives with a grandparent. Many people have a lot of questions when it comes to grandparents custody and the consideration of grandparents rights who are caring for their grandchildren. According to the Pew study, almost two-thirds of the grandparents who are primarily responsible […]