grandparent visitation rights

Grandparents Visitation Rights and Third Party Custody

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If you are seeking answers regarding grandparents visitation rights or your rights as a third party, our attorneys at Ruppert & Schaefer, P.C., can help. We stay up to date on the latest changes in Indiana family laws and will be able to guide you through any issues you are having.

Attorneys

As experienced family law attorneys, we have helped numerous grandparents achieve their visitation goals. There are several occasions that arise, which allow grandparents to seek visitation rights, including:

  • A child’s parent is deceased
  • The marriage of the child’s parents has been dissolved
  • The child is born out of wedlock and the child’s father has established paternity
  • Visitation is in the best interests of the child according to the court

Grandparents may not petition for visitation rights when the marriage of the parents is still intact. Our family law attorneys will explain all of your options to you and guide you
down the right path. Simply because you do not qualify for visitation rights does not mean that you do not qualify for third
party custody rights.

Call us at 317.580.9295 or contact our law firm online to arrange for a consultation.

Grandparent Visitation in Indiana

Posted on by Indy Digital Marketing Solutions

As a grandparent, do I have the right to see my grandchild? Attorneys are often asked this question. In Indiana, the legal response is maybe.

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Under certain circumstances, a grandparent residing in Indiana can petition a court for something called “grandparent visitation.” If one of the following is true, grandparent visitation may be appropriate:

  1. The grandchild’s parent is dead;
  2. The marriage of the grandchild’s parents has been dissolved (in other words, they are divorced); or
  3. The child was born outside of marriage. However, paternal grandparents of a child born outside of marriage can ask for grandparent visitation only if paternity has been established.

Although Indiana law permits grandparent visitation in certain circumstances, that right is limited by the United States Supreme case of Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000). Troxel emphasized the presumption that a fit parent acts in the best interests of their child, and so long as the parent is fit, a state has no grounds to question the parent’s decisions for raising their child—including decisions made about contact between that child and their grandparents.  However, where a parent is unfit, or where the parent has made a decision that is not in their child’s best interests, a trial court may grant a request for grandparent visitation.

The appropriateness of grandparent visitation is a fact-sensitive inquiry, and the facts of each case are unique. The attorneys at Ruppert & Schaefer regularly handle grandparent visitation cases and are available to discuss your situation. Call us to schedule a consultation at (317) 580-9295, your future is our concern.