Grandparents Rights

Grandparents form deep and loving attachments with the children in their lives. Yet when death, divorce, or estrangement tears families apart, these caretakers may find themselves without any legal right to maintain contact with the children they love. Many will have to make legal claims based on varying state laws. In my book No Greater Loss I discuss the best methods for grandparents to solidify these claims and the best practices for grandparents in their relationship with their grandchildren. All 50 states currently have some type of “grandparent visitation” statute through which grandparents can ask a court to grant them the legal right […]

When it comes to grandparents custody rights, in many states grandparents have no rights to visit, see or speak with their grandchildren unless the child’s parents permit such. This means that a grandparent cannot petition the court for access to the grandchild; such a petition will likely be immediately dismissed because of the lack of legal basis to grant the request. However, if a grandparent believes that her grandchild’s welfare is in serious danger, she can notify the authorities and potentially petition the court for custody of the child. This is not true, however, in all states. Some states are […]

As a grandparent, finding out that your child is getting divorced can be a reason for many worries. As custody and visitation rights for the parents are decided you must sit on the sidelines and watch as very important relationships in your life are worked out by others. It can be frustrating and frightening not to know what kind of access you will have to your grandchildren after years of seeing them regularly. When going through such a scenario you probably have a lot of questions. Often we don’t think about our own grandparents rights until the time comes that […]

Grandparents visitation rights are generally limited by family courts as the law is usually less in favor of the grandparents as opposed to the biological parents. However, in cases where both the parents are found to be derelict of their responsibilities or insensitive to the concerns of the child because of their involvement in other avocations which maybe disturbing to child’s well-being, it is possible for the grandparents to seek Grandparents visitation rights. Still the details have to be studied thoroughly because of the difficulties and the  slight differences in legalities from state to state. I go into great detail […]

A frequently asked question about grandparents rights is whether a grandparent who has been alienated from their grandchild by the child’s parents can seek visitation privileges with their grandchild. Whether a grandparent has a right to visit a grandchild is sometimes a complicated issue that varies by state. Whether or not a grandparent can petition the court for visitation rights to their grandchildren depends location and upon the circumstances present in their case. I go into great detail about these issues in my book No Greater Loss which examines these issues in depth. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court held […]

The courts take certain factors into account when dealing with grandparents rights cases. Although courts vary from state to state there are general consistencies on what courts and judges consider before awarding grandparents rights. Here is a summary of some of the factors a court considers when it decides whether or not grandparents visitation or custody is in the best interest of the child. I go into much greater detail about these factors in my book No Greater Loss. The existing relationship between the grandparent and the child. It is up to the grandparent to prove that there clearly exists […]

All family professionals say that custody of any child after an agonizing separation or an ongoing divorce case is definitely one of the most heart wrenching and emotionally draining encounters any parent or grandparent could face. This is because the process involves not just adults who have the skills to move forward and go on to live a new life but more focused on what is in store for kids after the inevitable break up. Parents and grandparents are closely involved in the happinesss of the children. If you are a grandparents who has a child in the process of divorce […]

Many grandparents who find themselves in situations where they are seeking custody of their grandchildren wonder if they should hire an attorney. Although you will find a lot of information about how to select and obtain an attorney in my book No Greater Loss I can give you some general observations here. The first question you must ask when considering filing for custody of your grandchildren is what is at stake? Once you decide on the importance of your efforts that should help you decide whether to hire an attorney. Though there are no hard and fast rules about hiring […]

About 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce today. When divorce takes place in the family the separation of the family unit affects everyone, and each person is affected differently. There is blame and hurt from everyone in the family. When parents separate or divorce the grandparents visitation rights affected. Grandparents are, of course, concerned about custody issues and they also want to help protect their grandchildren. Grandparents should be able to have a continued relationship with their grandparents to have some normality in their lives. Grandparents can be of great value at this time. Just because there is […]

I wanted to let all you Kindle users know that my comprehensive grandparents rights book No Greater Loss is now available for Kindle users at Amazon.com. No Greater Loss is a new book by grandparents rights advocate Neil Taft which addresses the troubled state of grandparents rights in the USA, giving readers a across-the-board overview as well as advocating for greater recognition of the need of grandchildren and the rights of grandparents. Reading No Greater Loss will add dimensions to you knowledge base when it comes to grandparents rights issues, as well as help you understand the context in which […]