Grandparents’ rights have come a long way in recent years, with an increasing number of grandparents exerting their rights to maintain a relationship with their grandchildren.
According to Colorado law (C.R.S. §19-1-117), grandparents’ will have the right to request visitation of grandchildren when:
- The grandchild’s parents have divorced, have had their marriage annulled or have legally separated.
- Someone other than a parent of the child has been given custody of the child.
- One parent of the child may have passed away.
If, in such situations, the court deems that it is in a child’s best interests to have regular visits with his or her grandparents, then this visitation may be ordered. In other words, while grandparents may have the right to request visitation with a grandchild, they do not necessarily always have the legal right to be granted visitation.
As a result, it’s critical to work with the Denver grandparents’ rights attorney at Goldman Law, LLC to ensure that:
- You have superior, experienced representation
- The best chances of obtaining the visitation that you are seeking from the court.
Grandparents’ Rights and Custody Cases
While grandparents’ rights commonly refer to the rights that grandparents may have to visitation with a child, in some cases, these rights may be extended to requesting partial or sole custody of a child. By law, grandparents’ rights to file for custody of a child will come into play when:
- A child has been removed from his home by law enforcement officials (due to, for instance, domestic violence alleged by one parent in the home) – In these cases, grandparents may have preference over other foster parents for obtaining custody over a child, but the grandparents will usually not have preference over the other parent (i.e., the parent not alleged to have committed the abusive act).
- A grandparent has been providing actual physical care for a child and would like to have some of the parental responsibilities for the child.
- A grandparent provided physical care to the child for at least 6 months within the past 6 months and wants some of the parental responsibilities over the child.
When Grandparents’ Rights Can Be Modified or Terminated
As with various aspects of child custody cases, grandparents’ rights can be modified or even ended at some point in the future if or when certain events may arise or circumstances may change. Some situations that may result in the modification or termination of grandparents’ rights can include (but are not limited to):
- The child being legally adopted.
- The parent, who is the child of the grandparents, losing custody and parental rights over the child.
- The best interests of the child evolving.
Denver Grandparents’ Rights Lawyer at Goldman Law, LLC
Are you a grandparent who needs help obtaining visitation or custody of a child? If so, the trusted Denver grandparents’ rights and custody attorney at Goldman Law, LLC is ready to stand up for your rights and help you resolve your case as favorably as possible.
You can learn more about your rights and receive a professional case evaluation by calling (303) 656-9529 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page. From our offices in Denver, we serve clients throughout Colorado.
