July 13, 2011
A lot of people ask me when is the best time to get a court to grant grandparents rights. The important thing to note is that it is always best if you can have grandparents visitation included at the time of your child’s divorce. If you or your attorney can negotiate directly with the parents of your grandchildren then adding terms such as grandparents visitation is far easier than it become later. Each different state provides the appropriate venue which can make custody and visitation determinations. Where a divorce is pending, the appropriate venue for making a visitation decision involving […]
July 11, 2011
One of the most perplexing problems with grandparents rights is that they vary greatly depending upon what state court system you are dealing with. At the most basic level, all states require grandparents to prove that the visits they seek are in the best interest of the grandchild. This generally means grandparents must show that their visits won’t be harmful in any way, and that they aren’t abusive or otherwise dangerous to the child. Beyond this initial hurdle, each state has a different threshold for when it will allow grandparents to take a case to court. Some states are more […]
July 4, 2011
Grandparent’s rights have become a controversial issue. On the one hand why should grandchildren be denied time with a grandparent because their parents no longer live together or are getting a divorce? Conversely, at what point does the intervention of the courts infringe upon a person’s civil liberties? People going through a divorce often feel that they have little or no control over their lives anymore. It seems the court system takes over their life, telling them how to live, where to live, how much money to live on and on. Exactly what is visitation? To put it into its […]
June 28, 2011
A new state law in Connecticut has established a task force to study grandparents’ visitation rights with their grandchildren. The laws in Connecticut and many states give parents’ views the top priority in most circumstances in deciding whether to allow contact. Some grandparents want the laws updated so they have more chance to argue in court for visitation. You can read more about these issues here: Why you need to know your grandparents rights Grandparents visitation and custody rights it today’s society Where do I get information on grandparents visitation rights?
June 24, 2011
Are you a grandparent who is feeling wronged? Are you intending to file a law suit to enable you to visit your grandchildren? Are you feeling frustrated by the repeated refusals your son or daughter’s ex spouse is putting you through when it comes to your grandchildren and you? Do you suspect your grandchild is being subjected to child abuse, drugs or careless parenting? If so, then it is time you got to know your grandparents rights inside out. Grandparents rights are rights that grandparents have over their grandchildren in matters of visitations, custody, care and control. The court has […]
June 21, 2011
Tennessee judges may soon have legal authority to grant visitation rights to grandparents fighting to see their grandchildren and that’s a first for the state. Both the House and the Senate passed the grandparents rights bill. It now sits on Governor Haslam’s desk. It’s sponsored by Johnson City Republican Senator Rusty Crowe. Among other things, the measure calls for the court to consider whether parents are depriving a grandparent of the chance to visit a child. Check out this video report on the bill: Tennessee Grandparents Rights Bill
June 18, 2011
Grandparents visitation rights and custody rights are becoming a huge issue in our society. Not only are more grandparents today taking on the responsibility of their grandchildren, but more grandparents are petitioning the court for visitation rights and winning visitation rights and/or custody of their grandchildren. In my book No Greater Loss I explore the complexities of these issues in our culture today. My book has great detail about the specifics of the law and what it means to grandparents. Here is a general overview: Although it is unknown exactly how many court-ordered visitation cases exist in our country today, […]
June 15, 2011
Many states today claim that when it comes to grandparents custody rights the grandparents have no rights to visit, see or speak with their grandchildren unless the child’s parents permit such. Only if a grandparent believes that their grandchild’s welfare is in serious danger can they notify the authorities and potentially petition the court for custody of the child. This is not true, however, in all states. Some states have permissive grandparents rights laws. Such individual states generally use one of two standards for determining custody. The courts in many states currently begin any proceedings by looking for the parental […]
June 13, 2011
In a sad blow to grandparents rights the Alabama Supreme Court last week struck down a state law that guarantees visitation rights for grandparents, ruling that it unconstitutionally violated the rights of fit parents who might not want their kids to be around their grandparents. The SC justices overturned Alabama’s recently passed Grandparent Visitation Act in a 7-2 decision. To read more about this controversial issue check out my post on Grandparents Visitation Rights. Here is some of what the Associated Press said about the ruling: The opinion, written by Associate Justice Tom Parker, was 34 pages long, and Parker […]
June 8, 2011
Many different reasons or circumstances can compel a grandparent to look into grandparents rights issues with their grandchildren. Considering today’s high divorce rates, teen pregnancy issues, drug problems, abandonment, abuse and sometimes the death of a parent or parents, many grandparents feel the need to step up and help out. Grandparents rights is a difficult legal matter, though, and often it’s hard to know where to start or get help. I discuss all of these issues in detail in my book No Greater Loss. Sometimes the parent or parents of the child are in agreement and believe that the child […]