When to Hire a Family Lawyer as a Grandparent

If you are a grandparent, there might be a situation in which you will need to hire a family lawyer. These are a couple of examples of times when grandparents can really benefit from seeking this type of legal representation.

You Would Like to Have Visitation With Your Grandchildren

When you first found out that you were going to become a grandparent, you might have envisioned yourself spending lots of time with your grandchild. Unfortunately, though, you might not have been able to visit with your grandchild much at all for one reason or another. You might not get along well with your grandchild's parent, for example, which could have lead to you not having a good relationship with either the parent or the child.

You might not think there is much of anything that you can do if you haven't been allowed to see your grandchild as much as you would like. However, depending on the laws in your state and the specifics of your situation, there might be steps that you can take if you would like to have visitation with your grandchildren. A family lawyer can advise you about your rights and can help you take the necessary steps to secure the visitation that you are hoping for.

You Would Like to Fight for Custody of Your Grandchildren

In some cases, grandparents fight for and win custody of their grandchildren. This might happen in a few different scenarios. If both of your grandchild's parents are deceased or incarcerated, for example, you might be concerned about where your grandchild will end up. In this type of situation, it can often make sense for grandparents to fight for custody of their grandchildren since this can help with preserving the family unit and can help prevent the children in question from being put into the foster care program.

There are even some situations when grandparents fight for custody of their grandchildren even when the grandchildren's parents currently take care of them. For example, if you fear that your grandchild's life is at risk due to one or more of their parents using drugs or otherwise being involved in risky behaviors, then you might be able to fight for custody. Of course, fighting for full or even partial custody of a grandchild can be a complicated legal situation, and it probably isn't one that you will want to handle on your own. Instead, you will probably want to hire a family lawyer to help you.

If you have any questions about family law, reach out to a lawyer in your area.