Grandparent’s Visitation Rights New Jersey
Why a Grandparent Would Need a New Jersey Grandparent’s Visitation Rights Lawyer
Becoming a grandparent can be one of the best experiences that can happen in a parent’s life: holding a newborn and seeing both the past and the future reflected in their tiny features or hearing the joyous laughter of a toddler. And, when a grandparent is ready for their nap, well, there’s an old saying: Being a grandparent is better because you get to give the child back!
What if, though, you, the grandparent, has an acrimonious relationship with your own child or your son or daughter-in-law that has poisoned the potential relationship between you and your grandchild(ren)? What if your relationship with your grandchildren just isn’t close? What if your grandchild’s parents are divorced? What if your child has even forbidden their children from seeing you, their grandparent?
You may have rights, referred to as Grandparent’s Visitation Rights, depending upon the particular facts of your case. And a New Jersey Grandparent’s Visitation Rights Lawyer can help you exercise them. Let’s look at what steps to take if you feel you’re unfairly being kept from seeing your grandchildren:
- The first step is to see if you can resolve the situation civilly without engaging a lawyer. More than likely you’ve already tried this step, though it may be worth trying again: an email stating your hopes or a telephone call, with an olive branch and a simple request. We’re not suggesting you’re going to be able to mend the overall rift with your child that has resulted in your not being allowed to foster a close relationship with your grandchild(ren), but perhaps a willingness to listen will break down the barriers and allow for a simple visit— a small place to start. (Sometimes the rift will happen, tragically, after a parent’s death, usually the parent not related to the grandchild: try to act as compassionately as possible while also remembering you may have rights.)
- Consult with a New Jersey Grandparent’s Visitation Rights Lawyer. You’ll want to find the lawyer who you feel has the best grasp on your unique situation, and who is a good fit with you personally. Working with your lawyer, you may ask your lawyer to reach out to your grandchild’s parents. Or you may want to craft an application to the Court asking the Court to grant you, the grandparent, visitation rights.
- Bring documentation to your lawyer. You and your lawyer will have to provide sufficient evidence that the grandchild would be harmed without access to his/her grandparent, as well as demonstrating that it’s in the best interest of the child (the gold standard for all family law decisions) to spend time with their grandparent. Text messages, emails, voicemails— anything that you feel might be relevant to your lawyer is worth showing to them.
At O’Cathain Law Group our motto is Move Forward. Grandchildren, of course, do nothing but move forward: the first step, the first word, the first tooth— onto the next thing! Working with your New Jersey Grandparent’s Visitation Rights Lawyer you can exercise your rights to be there alongside with them as you take the next step and Move Forward together.
Are you a grandparent who’s being denied visitation? Schedule a consultation today. Call (201) 488-1161, fill out the intake form, or email a dedicated Family Law paralegal to speak with a New Jersey Grandparents Visitation Lawyer at O’Cathain Law Group.