In the event of a death, divorce, or other unforeseen event, grandparents might find themselves without access to their grandchildren. Of course, this is undoubtedly difficult for those who are close with their grandchildren and wish to preserve their bond. Although many states provide grandparents with visitation rights, Florida is one of the strictest states regarding such policies and rarely grants visitation rights against a parent’s wishes.
Generally, it is difficult for grandparents to secure any legal rights to their grandchildren unless they have been removed from the care of their parents and become dependents of the state. Much like any other child-related decisions, the court will only grant grandparents continued visitation if doing so will serve the best interests of the children.
In the event that a judge awards visitation rights to a grandparent, the grandparent will be responsible for the cost of transportation to visits and must work with the children’s caseworker to set up the visits. Moreover, grandparents with visitation rights are not allowed to arrange visits with the children or the children’s parents. If they do, they can potentially lose all of their visitation rights. Therefore, it is crucial to comply with these rules and avoid risking your relationship with your grandchildren.
In rare cases, Florida law permits grandparents to obtain temporary custody of their grandchildren if they can sufficiently prove their home will better serve the best interests of the children than a foster home or another facility. Florida courts examine such decisions with great care to ensure the children’s relationships with their parents are not threatened by the grandparents’ desire to retain custody or visitation rights to their grandchildren. To improve your chances of obtaining the best results for your case, it is imperative to hire an attorney with experience in handling such complex family law cases.
If you are seeking visitation or custody rights to your grandchildren, you will need a knowledgeable legal advocate on your side to guide you through the process. At Dale L. Bernstein, Chartered Law Office, our family law attorney has the experience and compassion to help you navigate each step, so you can maintain a bond with your grandchildren. You can rely on our team to secure the best possible results for you and your family.
Reach out to our law office today at (727)-862-4411 to set up a consultation with our attorney and learn more about what we can do to assist you.