New Jersey Attorneys for Grandparents’ Rights Cases
New Jersey Attorneys for
Grandparents’ Rights Cases
Children
benefit from having a healthy relationship with their grandparents and you, as
a grandparent, no doubt delight in being part of your grandchildren’s lives.
When unfortunate circumstances make it difficult or impossible to spend time
with your grandchildren, you do have grandparents’ rights
under New Jersey law. However, the statutes are complex, and emotional factors
can create hurdles if it becomes necessary to take legal action to enforce your
rights.
You
do not have to face challenging grandparents’ rights matters alone. Our lawyers at Giro Attorneys at Law, LLC
recognize that grandparents can be in a tough spot when a parent imposes
barriers to spending time with a child. We have extensive knowledge of the laws
governing your rights as a grandparent, and we are dedicated to serving clients
in these types of cases in Bergen County, NJ and the surrounding region.
Ensuring You Have a Voice as a
Grandparent
Under
New Jersey’s visitation statute, an eligible non-parent may file a petition to
seek visitation with a child, even over the objection of the parents.
Grandparents have the right to file this petition, but they do have the burden
of proving that visitation is in the grandchild’s best interests.
The
intent of the grandparents’ visitation law is to balance the rights of parents
as primary decisionmakers in raising their child, with the notion that it is in
the child’s best interests to spend time with key family members. The statute
allows grandparents to enjoy visitation when the parents do not allow it, or
when the family unit is disrupted by death, divorce, or adoption.
Factors on Grandparents’ Rights
Matters
In
weighing grandparents’ rights to visitation with a grandchild, a court will
consider eight factors:
● The grandparent’s relationship with
the child;
● The grandparent’s relationship with
each parent or a person living with the child;
● How long has passed since the child
and grandparent maintained contact;
● How grandparent visitation will
impact the relationship between each parent or a person living with the child;
● The co-parenting arrangement between
the child’s parents, in the event of divorce or separation;
● The grandparent’s motivation in
filing the petition, and whether it was filed in good faith or for questionable
reasons;
● Any history of abuse or neglect
related to the grandparent; and,
● Any other factors that may be
relevant to the best interests of the child, on a case-by-case basis.
Based
upon these factors, you can see that grandparents’ rights may only be
recognized when the grandparents have a direct, personal relationship with the
child. Occasional, infrequent visits may not support a finding that you have
rights to visitation.
Count on a Dedicated Grandparents’
Rights Lawyer in New Jersey
Comments
Post a Comment