How grandparents can protect their access to their grandchildren

If you are a grandparent and are being denied access to your grandchildren, you are probably frustrated and heartbroken. It is unfortunate, yet common, for adult children to deny such access to grandparents, especially during emotionally charged disputes. A parent could be upset with continued financial support or wants to cut off the other parent and their entire family, including you.

Regardless of the feelings between warring parents, grandparents should not be punished, especially with Grandparent’s Day is coming this month.

Because of this, Pennsylvania law allows grandparents to petition the court for parenting time, in the same fashion as unmarried fathers seek court ordered time. Similarly, spending time with a grandparent can be especially important if a child’s parents are having difficulties that prevent them from caring the children in a manner that promotes what’s in the child’s best interests.

For instance, if a parent is incarcerated, has a demanding work schedule or is suffering from a debilitating illness, a grandparent may be the ideal person to care for a child. In fact, the number of grandparents raising children has increased in the past decade. So it is not uncommon for a grandparent to be awarded custody rights or be named as a guardian.

With that said, an experienced family law attorney can answer your questions about securing parenting time or custody if your child (or their spouse) is preventing you from spending time from your grandchild.

The preceding is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.