Specialists in family law since 1994 representing clients in matters and cases involving children including grandparents rights and applications for grandparent contact.
Relationships between family members can become difficult following divorce or separation, Grandparents who have previously enjoyed free access to the children can find that they are excluded because a recently divorced or separated parent does not want to maintain contact with the other parent’s family. This can be particularly difficult for grandparents with whom children often have a deep bond. There is no automatic right for grandparent contact to be able to see their grandchildren but an application to court for an order that a parent allow contact is possible. The views of both parents and the children’s wishes and feelings will be taken into account. The level of involvement and the relationship the grandparents enjoyed previously with their grandchildren is also a relevant factor.
“Without her approach the whole episode would have been far worse to get through. Highly recommended is an understatement.”
Trying to negotiate seeing your grandchildren when your own child is also having a difficult time communicating with their former partner about seeing them can be particularly distressing and grandparents often feel obliged to ‘take a back seat’.
“Huge, huge thanks for your help, support, hard work and legal advice. It felt like a long journey from when I first sat in your office but now the case is resolved.”
Grandparents don’t have an automatic right to maintain contact with their grandchildren but they can apply for permission to make an application for the court to consider whether there should be an order that specifies when and how children should see the grandparents. An application to court should be a last resort however and this is one of the many areas of family law in which careful and sensitive communication with the children’s parents is essential and can make all the difference to the outcome.