We often talk about the rights of a father, but what about the rights of a grandfather and a grandmother? Grandparents love their grandchildren just as much as parents do, so when something happens that might prevent a grandparent from seeing the child — such as divorce — it can be devastating. Even worse, however, is when a grandparent knows that his or her grandchildren are not being properly cared for. Fortunately, in some scenarios, grandparents and even great-grandparents can seek physical custody rights over their grandchildren.
For example, if a grandparent has been caring for his or her grandchildren for an extended timeframe, the grandparent can file legal paperwork to establish primary physical custody. In cases where the parent is either unwilling or unable to appropriately attend to the child’s needs, the grandparents will usually prevail in this kind of case — even if the parent disagrees. In other situations, where a parent dies and two grandparents are then unable to spend time with a grandchild, Pennsylvania law allows them to obtain partial custody and/or visitation rights related to the grandchildren.
At Palange, Endres & Marks, PC, we have helped countless grandparents assert their legal rights to spend time with their grandchildren through the Pennsylvania family court system. Fortunately, even if some litigation is required, a lot of these matters can be brought to amicable resolution and settled outside of the courtroom. If it is necessary to go to trial in order to protect a grandparent’s rights to visit or care for his or her grandchildren, Palange, Endres & Marks, PC, is fully prepared to go the distance, go to trial and take every possible step to protect the grandparent’s rights, and ensure the best interests of the child or children involved.