Rights of Grandparents

Grandparents can often feel left out of their grandchildren’s lives especially following a relationship breakdown and are left questioning what grandparent’s rights are and/or whether there are laws to assist them.

Our solicitors offer an empathetic approach and are experienced in offering family law advice to grandparents in all types of matters including arranging regular contact with your grandchildren, making arrangements for your grandchildren to reside with you, advice in relation to social services involvement and the availability of court orders.

We provide free initial telephone consultations for all our clients. Call our specialist Child Law Solicitors now on 0844 800 9860 or contact us online for advice.

What rights do Grandparents’ have?

Sadly grandparents do not have an automatic right in relation to their grandchildren; nevertheless, the important role that grandparents play in their grandchildren’s lives is recognised in the family courts.

It is hoped that in most cases an agreement can be reached between the parents of the children and the grandparents, however, in cases where this is not possible then an application to court can be considered.

Due to the limited rights of grandparents the initial step is to apply for permission of the court to make your application and in doing so the court will consider your connection with the child, the nature of the application and the welfare of the child. If your application for permission is successful you can then pursue your application for a court order.

The type of contact you have with your grandchildren can vary and it may be that in some cases it is not suitable for direct contact to take place. It may be suggested that indirect contact is a good alternative to enable you to maintain a relationship with your grandchildren and this can include sending letters, e-mails, text messages, cards and presents. The frequency and type of contact will vary on a case by case basis depending on what would be in the children’s best interests.

Services for Grandparents

Our experienced team of Child Law Solicitors would be happy to assist you in finding out more about grandparents rights.

We provide free initial telephone consultations for all our clients. Call our specialist Child Law Solicitors now on 0844 800 9860 or contact us online for advice. We are able to provide competitive rates for all our Child Law work including fixed fees.