Grandparent visitation is a legal right which grandparents in some jurisdictions may have to have court ordered visitation (or contact) of their grandchildren. In the United States all 50 states have a "grandparent visitation" statute that allows grandparents to ask a court to grant them the legal right to maintain ongoing contact with their grandchildren. State laws vary greatly and some states do not guarantee that the grandparents will be able to obtain a court order granting them visitation. The rationale behind these laws is that sometimes, especially with the death of a parent or in a family that has undergone divorce, the children may not have the opportunity to have contact with the non-custodial parent and his relatives, thus fostering continued familial bonds. Those opposing this view say that court-ordered grandparent visitation infringes upon the fundamental right of a fit parent to raise their child in the manner they see fit (including the right to decide whom the child will associate with).
Read more about Grandparent Visitation: Impact of Troxel V. Granville
Famous quotes containing the word grandparent:
“If grandparents want to have a meaningful and constructive role, the first lesson they must learn is that becoming a grandparent is not having a second chance at parenthood!”
—Eda Le Shan (20th century)