Ways that Grandparents Can Legally Make Sure They Spend Time with Their Granchildren

Many parents nowadays just do not get along with their children’s grandparents. The days of grandparent’s spending time with the entire family are gone. Now many grandparents are force to go to court in order to enforce their right to visit and associate with their grandchildren. In recent years the number of grandparents that have sued for visitation rights has continued to grow. But where exactly do these breakdowns occur? The one thing that most grandparents want is to be able to spend more time with their grandchildren.

The sad part is that it usually happens when the families just do not get along or there is a nasty divorce. But in most states there are laws that give grandparents visitation right to both the maternal and paternal grandparents. It does vary from state to state so you should make sure that you check your local laws before you decide to pursue visitation as a grandparent in court. Because it is different in every state, if the parents of your grandchildren decide to move then you will have to go to their new state and fight the case all over again. Some may feel that this is just a waste of time and money. But if you really love your grandchildren, and have been involved in their lives you should pursue your visitation rights. Did you even know that it is possible to have your grandparent visitation included in their divorce decree Keep in mind that the court will be looking for what is in the best interest of the child. So there is not guarantee that you will get visitation. This is especially the case if the parents of your grandchildren say something negative or derogatory about you.

Prior to going through the entire court process you could agree to hire a third party mediator. This is usually an attorney who will right up the agreement between you and the family on when you can see the kids and for how long. If it all possible you want to try and avoid taking the matter to court. This will only cause more problems with the parents. Make sure that you try all of your options first. Don’t just go running straight to court. Try to work things out with the parents first. Usually if visitation is denied it is because that one of or both of the parent’s are just upset about something. So it may be worth it to work out some sort of visitation. If you have to take the legal course try speaking to an attorney to see what your rights are in your state. The bottom line is to do everything you can to be a part of your grandchild’s life. It is definitely in the best interest of your grandchildren.