The Question:
Does a grandparent have rights to visitation?
RJ Says:
YES, grandparents do have rights in Arizona. First, the Court may grant reasonable visitation rights on a finding that the visitation rights would be in the best interests of the child AND if any of the following are true:
- The marriage of the parents of the child has been dissolved for at least three months.
- A parent of the child has been deceased or has been missing
A grandparent may ALSO have the right to seek temporary or permanent custody, if we can convince the Court that:
- The grandparent stands “in loco parentis” to the child.
- It would be significantly detrimental to the child to remain or be placed in the custody of either of the child’s living legal parents who wish to retain or obtain custody.
I WOULD NEED TO KNOW MORE to determine what manner of rights you can pursue.
If you believe your grandchild may be harmed, then you also have the right to seek emergency orders.
Please call or email my office soon. We can certainly help you consider and then pursue your options.
One of our attorneys can explain the issues and procedures better via video or phone consultation. As you can imagine, there is too much to cover via email. We offer free ½ hour consultations, in which we can discuss your matter in detail.
Please call or email Emily in our office to schedule your free ½ hour consultation.