ALC is a Coeur d'Alene Based Law Firm, Handling Probate, Family Law, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury and Civil Litigation Matters

Grandparent’s Rights


Coeur d’Alene Child Custody Lawyer

Serving Coeur d’Alene & Kootenai County areas, including Rathdrum â–ª Hayden

Grandparents often inquire about their visitation rights in circumstances such as the following:

  • The parents of a child are separated or divorced, and the parents of the non-custodial parent do not have the access that they wish to have to their grandchild or grandchildren.
  • A biological parent of a child is unavailable or unfit for parenting, due to drug addiction, incarceration, a gambling addiction or mental illness, and the parents of that unfit parent would like custody and visitation rights in lieu of the parent.
  • Grandparents are kept away from their grandchildren after the death of a child who was a parent of those grandchildren. The grandparents wonder if they have a legal right to spend time with their grandchildren in spite of objections of their child’s widow or widower.

To discuss your concerns about grandparents’ rights in a situation such as any of these, or in any other context, contact the Advocacy Law Center, PLLC in Kootenai county to schedule a free phone consultation with our child custody lawyer. Learn what the courts have to say about the limited rights that the law provides to grandmothers and grandfathers who wish to spend time with their grandchildren.

Keep in mind that the courts will balance grandparents’ wishes with parents’ rights to decide on the proper way to raise their children. A grandparent may be able to obtain court orders providing for contact with their grandchildren when these orders do not conflict with the rights of birth parents or adoptive parents. For example, if a mother or father is sent to Iraq, the courts may allow the service member’s parents to exercise his or her parenting time rights in his or her absence.

There is often an attainable legal solution for grandparents who want to spend time with their grandchildren. In a full-time grandparenting situation, a guardianship may be the route to go.

Talk to a family law attorney at the Advocacy Law Center, PLLC about grandparents’ rights and your unique family circumstances. We care about both “non-legal” and legal aspects of your family law concerns. Contact us by phone or e-mail.

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