Lawrenceville Family Law Attorney

Grandparents' Rights

As divorce becomes a more widely accepted part of life, the issue of Grandparents' rights to visitation has become an increasing area of concern. Unfortunately, in the chaos of divorce proceedings, often times the non-custodial parent's mother and father can be literally cut off from seeing their grandchildren, which makes them wonder what their rights are as grandparents. If you want to learn more about your inherent rights as a grandparent, we urge you to contact a Lawrenceville family lawyer from the firm for more information.

In the state of Georgia, grandparents have the right to ask the Superior Court for visitation rights by filing a Petition for Visitation. They can either file an Original Action for Visitation, or they can join an existing case for custody. With an original action for visitation, there can't be any other cases before the court that involve custody or visitation of the child, and the parents of the child must be either separated or divorced.

When the grandparents join an existing case, they may get involved in an already existing case for custody, divorce, adoption, or termination of parental rights. This type of situation usually occurs when the grandparents feel that the child's health or safety will be threatened if they aren't allowed visitation of their grandchild. To do this, the grandparents must prove that their visitation would be in the best interests of the child.

Best Interests of the Child

Whenever the courts are determining custody and/or visitation of the child, they will consider what is in the child's best interests. They will weigh the needs of the child, their physical and emotional safety, as well as their welfare. They will also consider the wishes of the parents, grandparents and the child themselves. Furthermore, the courts will consider the relationship with the child and grandparents among a number of other relevant factors.

Grandparents' Rights Lawyer Serving Lawrenceville & Gwinnett County

Fortunately, the state of Georgia recognizes the importance of the grandparent's relationship with their grandchildren. Where grandparents are denied access to their grandchildren for various reasons, they have the right to request visitation. At the Fox Firm, P.C., we have been helping families come together for more than 16 years. We would be happy to inform you of your rights as a grandparent as well as the legal procedures necessary to request them if they are not being honored. Contact a Lawrenceville grandparents' rights attorney from the firm to discuss your matter in further detail.

To protect your grandparent's rights, contact a Lawrenceville grandparents' rights attorney from the firm today!