This is the final post in my series discussing the potential visitation rights of grandparents and other important third parties in a child’s life. Throughout this series I have attempted to give a realistic idea of what a grandparent can expect to happen should they decide to sue for visitation of a child. During this series I have been both clear that in the large majority of cases a parent has the right to block visitation with a grandparent, and to provide examples of when a grandparent has a realistic chance of winning a case.
While discussing this topic, I have written on several specific subjects that are relevant to a grandparent visitation request. Topics I have covered include:
- The criteria needed for a grandparent to request visitation of a child from the Court
- Why mediation is often the best course of action during a family visitation dispute
- What kind of discovery is relevant in such cases and why it is important at trial
- What to expect at a family court trial
- How a parent may defend against a third party’s visitation request
- How each side should proceed once a Court Order is made
If you are a grandparent and wish to ask the Court to force a child’s parent to allow visitation, it is important to know you may have an uphill battle. Any family court Judge will begin with the presumption that a parent knows what is best for their child, and it is up to the grandparent or other third party to argue that their case should be seen as an exception. Family squabbles in Court can be difficult on a child, so it is important for grandparents to think through their actions and exhaust any alternative solutions first.
If a grandparent strongly feels that they should be awarded visitation for the best interest of the child, then it is important to act quickly. The more time that passes between the grandparent seeing the child, the less likely a Judge will be to see the relationship as ‘significant.’ Contact our Las Vegas family law attorney today to review your case.