© 2016 - U.S. Legal Forms, Inc
USLegal Pamphlet to
Grandparent
Visitation
I NTRODUCTION
The right of the
grandparent to visit the
grandchild is not a
constitutional right.
Traditionally, the
common law denied
grandparents visitation
with a child over a
parent’s objections.
However, since 1965, all
50 states and the District
of Columbia have
enacted legislation
enabling grandparents to
petition the courts for
visitation rights with
grandchildren. The laws
do not make granting of
visitation rights
automatic — they
merely give
grandparents the right to
ask for a visitation order.
Therefore grandparent
visitation rights are
merely stat utory rights,
given by state
legislatures. All states
have some form of
grandparent visitation
laws. Among those laws
that permit grandparents
to file for visitation
rights, there are two
primary types – restrictive and
permissive.
The law relating to
visitation rights of
grandparents varies from
state to state. Local laws
should be consulted for
requirements in your
area. Courts grant
visitation or custody to
grandparents only when
certain conditions
provided in state statutes
are met. Conditions for a
grandparent to attain
custody differ from
those conditions
required for visitation
rights. A grandparent
should be familiar with
the conditions for either
custody or visitation
before determining
whether to file a petition
to request either from a
court of law.
J URISDICTION
Courts grant visitation or
custody to grandparents
only when certain
conditions provided in
state statutes are met.
Conditions for a
grandparent to attain
custody differ from
those conditions
required for visitation
rights. A grandparent
should be familiar with
the conditions for either
custody or visitation
before determining
whether to file a petition to request either from a
court of law.
State Provisions for
Custody and Visitation
Grandparents should
check a number of
provisions in the statutes
in their respective states
to determine the
conditions for visitation,
the factors a court must
consider to order
visitation, and the proper
venue to file a request
for visitation. Though
many state statutes are
similar, state courts may
apply statutory
provisions differently.
Every statute requires
courts to consider the
best interest of the child
before awarding custody
or visitation to
grandparents.
S TATE P ROVISIONS FOR
C USTODY AND V ISITATION
As noted above, courts
in a few states have
ruled that statutes
providing for
grandparent visitation
violate either the federal
or the respective state
constitutions. Several
states have revised the
statutory visitation
provisions, but the
constitutionality of these
statutes may still be in
question.
ALABAMA: Alabama
courts struck down
portions of the
grandparent visitation
statute as
unconstitutional. The
Alabama Legislature in
2003 amended the
statute to comport with
constitutional
requirements. Under the
revised statute, a court
may grant visitation to a
grandparent if visitation
is in the child’s best
interest and one of five
events has occurred: (1)
one or both parents of
the child are deceased;
(2) the marriage of the
parents of the child has
been dissolved; (3) a
parent of the child has
abandoned the child; (4)
the child was born out of
wedlock; or (5) the child
lives with both
biological parents, but
one or both of the
parents has prevented a
grandparent from
visiting the child. The
state’s custody statute
requires courts to
consider the moral
character of the parents
and the age and sex of
the child to determine
the best interests of the
child.
ALASKA:
Determination of
grandparent visitation
rights must be made in
an action for divorce, legal separation, or child
placement action, or
when both parents have
died. Adoption cuts off
the visitation rights of
grandparents unless the
adoption decree
provides for visitation
between the child and
the natural relatives.
ARIZONA: A court may
award visitation rights if
the child’s parents’
marriage has been
dissolved for at least
three months, or the
child is born out of
wedlock. Adoption cuts
off the visitation rights
of the grandparents
unless the adoption is
granted to a stepparent.
ARKANSAS: The
custody statute requires
that court grant custody
“without regard to the
sex of the parent but
solely in accordance
with the welfare and
best interest of the
children.” Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include several
circumstances where the
grandchild has resided
with the grandparent, the
child’s parents are
divorced, the child is in
the custody of someone
other than a parent, or
the child has been born
out of wedlock.
Adoption cuts off all visitation rights of the
natural grandparents.
CALIFORNIA:
Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include a
determination of
whether a parent is
deceased, the child’s
parents are divorced or
separated, the
whereabouts of one
parent is unknown, or
the child is not residing
with either parent. In
addition to determining
that visitation is in the
child’s best interests, the
court must find that the
grandparents had a
preexisting relationship
with the grandchild. The
court must also balance
visitation with the
parents’ rights. If both
parents agree that the
court should not grant
visitation to the
grandchild, the court
will presume that
visitation is not in the
child’s best interests.
Adoption does not
automatically cut off the
visitation rights of
grandparents.
COLORADO: A court
may award visitation
rights if the child’s
parents’ marriage has
been terminated, legal
custody of the child has
been given to a third
party, the child has been
placed outside the home
of either of the child’s
parents, or the
grandparent is the parent
of a deceased parent of
the child. Adoption cuts
off the visitation rights
of the grandparents
unless the adoption is
granted to a stepparent.
CONNECTICUT: A
court may award
visitation rights if
visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
Adoption does not
automatically cut off the
visitation rights of
grandparents.
DELAWARE: A court
may award visitation
rights if visitation is in
the child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
FLORIDA: The Florida
Supreme Court has on
more than one occasions
ruled that the application
some provisions of the
Florida statute providing
grandparental visitation
is unconstitutional.
Under the current
statute, Florida courts
may award visitation to
a grandparent when
visitation is in the
child’s best interest and
(1) the marriage of the
child’s parents has been
dissolved; (2) a parent has deserted a child; or
(3) the child was born
out of wedlock.
GEORGIA: The custody
statute does not list
specific factors for the
court to consider for
determining the best
interest of the child. A
court may award
visitation rights if an
action is pending where
there is an issue
involving the custody of
a minor child, divorce of
the child’s parents,
termination of a parent’s
rights, or visitation
rights. Adoption cuts off
the visitation rights of
the grandparents unless
the adoption is granted
to a stepparent or a
natural relative of the
child.
HAWAII: The custody
statute requires courts to
consider the child’s
wishes, if the child is old
enough and has the
capacity to reason, and
evidence of any
domestic violence, when
determining the best
interest of the child. A
court may award
visitation rights if
Hawaii is the home state
of the child at the time
visitation is requested,
and visitation is in the
best interest of the child.
Adoption cuts off all visitation rights of
grandparents.
IDAHO: A court may
award visitation rights if
visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
ILLINOIS: In 2002, the
Illinois Supreme Court
determined that the
Illinois Grandparent
Visitation Act violated
the Illinois Constitution.
A new visitation statute
became effective on
January 1, 2005. Under
the new statute, a court
can grant visitation to a
grandparent if visitation
is in the best interest of
the child and the
grandparent has been
unreasonably denied
visitation to the child. A
court may not grant
visitation to a
grandparent where both
parents object to such
visitation.
INDIANA: A court may
award visitation rights if
either of the child’s
parents is deceased, the
child’s parents’ marriage
has been terminated, or
the child was born out of
wedlock. In addition to
considering whether
visitation is in the
child’s best interest, a
grandparent must show
that he or she has had, or
attempted to have,
meaningful contact with
the grandchild. Adoption
cuts off the visitation
rights of the
grandparents unless the
adoption is granted to a
stepparent or a natural
grandparent, sibling,
aunt, uncle, niece, or
nephew of the child.
IOWA: The custody
statute requires courts to
consider the best interest
of the child that will
provide the “maximum
continuing physical and
emotional contact with
both parents.” The Iowa
Supreme Court has ruled
on more than one
occasion that the Iowa
statute providing
grandparental visitation
is unconstitutional, and
the Iowa Legislature has
not adopted an
alternative statute.
KANSAS: A court may
award visitation rights in
a custody order.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of the
grandparents unless the
grandparent is the parent
of a deceased parent and
the surviving parent’s
spouse adopts the child.
KENTUCKY: A court
may award visitation
rights if visitation would
be in the child’s best interest. A court may
award a grandparent the
same visitation rights as
a parent without custody
if the grandparent’s
child is deceased and the
grandparent has
provided child support
to the grandchild.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless the
adoption is granted to a
stepparent, and the
grandparent’s child has
not had his or her
parental rights
terminated.
LOUISIANA: A court
may award visitation
rights if the child’s
parent is deceased or
declared legally
incompetent, a
grandparent is the parent
of the deceased or
incompetent parent to
the grandchild, and
visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents except in
circumstances where the
grandparents are the
parents of a deceased
party to the marriage or
the parents of a party
who has forfeited his or
her rights to object to the
child’s adoption.
MAINE: A court may
award visitation right if
at least one of the child’s parents is deceased,
visitation is in the
child’s best interest, and
visitation will not
interfere significantly
with the relationship
between the parent and
the child. Adoption cuts
off all visitation rights of
grandparents.
MARYLAND: The
custody statute does not
provide a list of factors
for determining the best
interest of the child. A
court may award
visitation rights if
visitation is in the
child’s best interest. The
factors for determining
the child’s best interest
have been set forth in
case law. Adoption cuts
off all visitation rights of
grandparents.
MASSACHUSETTS:
The custody statute does
not provide a list of
factors for determining
the best interest of the
child. A court may
award visitation rights if
the child’s parents’
marriage is terminated,
the parents are
separated, one of the
parents is deceased, or
the child was born out of
wedlock and paternity
has been established.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless the
adoption is granted to a
stepparent.
MICHIGAN: A court
may award visitation
rights if the child’s
parents’ marriage is
terminated, the parents
separate, or custody of
the child is given to a
third party other than the
child’s parents.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless the
adoption is granted to a
stepparent.
MINNESOTA: A court
may award visitation
rights if a child’s parent
is deceased and the
grandparents are the
parents of the deceased
parent. Visitation may
also be granted during or
after divorce, custody,
separation, annulment,
or paternity proceedings.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless the
adoption is granted to a
stepparent or another
grandparent.
MISSISSIPPI: The
custody statute does not
provide a list of factors
for determining the best
interest of the child. If
the child is at least 12
years old, he or she may
choose who takes
custody. Conditions for
grandparent visitation rights include
determination of
whether one of the
child’s parents is
deceased, or a parent has
had his or her parental
rights terminated. The
court must also consider
the relationship between
the grandparent and
grandchild. Adoption
cuts off the visitation
rights of grandparents
unless the adoption is
granted to a stepparent
or a blood relative.
MISSOURI: A court
may award visitation
rights if the child’s
parents have filed for
divorce, one parent is
deceased and the other
parent has unreasonably
denied visitation to the
grandparent, or when a
parent or parents
unreasonably deny
visitation to a
grandparent for more
than 90 days. Adoption
cuts off the visitation
rights of grandparents
unless adoption is
granted to a stepparent,
another grandparent, or
a blood relative.
MONTANA: A court
may award visitation
rights if the court finds
that visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless adoption is granted to a
step-parent or another
grandparent.
NEBRASKA: A court
may award visitation
rights if at least one
parent is deceased, the
parents’ marriage has
been dissolved or a
petition for dissolution
has been filed, or the
child is born out of
wedlock and paternity
has been established.
Grandparents must
demonstrate that a
beneficial relationship
exists between
themselves and the
grandchild and that
visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
Visitation cannot
interfere with the parent-
child relationship.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
NEVADA: A court may
award visitation rights if
the child’s parents are
deceased, the child’s
parents are divorced or
separated, or one of the
child’s parents have had
his or her parental rights
terminated. The child’s
parent or parents must
have unreasonably
restricted visitation
between the grandparent
and grandchild before a
court may award
visitation to a
grandparent. If a child’s
parent or parents has
denied or unreasonably
restricted access to a
grandparent, a court will
presume that visitation is
not in the child’s best
interest. Adoption cuts
off all rights of
grandparents unless
grandparents request
visitation before the
termination of the
parental rights of the
child’s parent or parents.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: A
court may award
visitation rights if the
child’s parents are
divorced or have filed
for divorce, one of the
parents is deceased, one
of the parents has had
his or her parental rights
terminated, or the child
has been born out of
wedlock, if the child has
been legitimated.
Adoption cuts off all
rights of grandparents.
NEW JERSEY: A court
may grant visitation
rights if visitation is in
the child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off the
rights of grandparents,
unless adoption is
granted to a stepparent.
NEW MEXICO: A court
may grant visitation
rights if the child’s
parents are divorced,
separated, or deceased. Visitation rights may
also be granted if the
child is over six years
old, lived with the
grandparent for more
than six months, and
was subsequently
removed from the
grandparent’s home (if
the child is under six,
the residence
requirement is reduced
to three months).
Adoption cuts off the
rights of grandparents
unless adoption is
granted to a stepparent, a
relative of the child, a
caretaker designated in a
deceased parent’s will,
or a person who
sponsored the child at a
baptism or confirmation.
NEW YORK: The
custody statute does not
provide statutory factors
for determining the best
interest of the child. A
court may grant
visitation rights if at
least one of the child’s
parents is deceased or if
the court finds that
equity demands
intervention based on
the circumstances of the
case. Adoption does not
automatically cut off the
visitation rights of
grandparents.
NORTH CAROLINA:
The custody statute does
not provide statutory
factors for determining the best interest of the
child. A court may grant
visitation rights as part
of an order determining
custody of the child.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless
adoption is granted to a
stepparent or a relative
of the child, where the
grandparent proves that
a substantial relationship
exists between the
grandparent and
grandchild.
NORTH DAKOTA: A
court must grant
visitation rights unless
the court determines that
visitation would not be
in the child’s best
interest. The amount of
contact between the
child, the grandparent,
and the parent are
factors to be considered
when determining the
child’s best interest.
Adoption cuts off the
rights of grandparents,
unless visitation was
granted prior to the
adoption.
OHIO: A court may
grant visitation rights if
the child’s parents are
deceased, divorced,
separated, were parties
to a suit for annulment
or child support, or were
never married to one
another. Grandparents
must show they have an
interest in the child’s
welfare. Adoption cuts
off the visitation rights
of grandparents unless
adoption is granted to a
stepparent.
OKLAHOMA: A court
may grant visitation
rights if visitation is in
the child’s best interest.
The statute provides
special rules when the
child is born out of
wedlock. Adoption cuts
off the visitation rights
of grandparents unless
the grandparents can
show a previous
relationship existed
between them and the
grandchild, and
visitation is in the
child’s best interest.
OREGON:
Determination of
grandparent visitation
rights include
consideration of the
relationship between the
grandparent and
grandchild, as well as
the relationship between
the parent and child.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
PENNSYLVANIA: A
court may grant
visitation if at least one
of the child’s parents is
deceased, the parents are
divorced or separated for
more than six months, or the child has lived with
the grandparent for more
than 12 months.
Determination of
grandparent visitation
must include
consideration of the best
interest of the child,
potential interference
with the parent-child
relationship, and the
contact between the
grandparent and
grandchild. Adoption
cuts off visitation rights
of grandparents unless
adoption is granted to a
stepparent or
grandparent.
RHODE ISLAND: The
custody statute does not
provide statutory factors
for determining the best
interest of the child.
Determination of
grandparent visitation
must include
consideration of the
relationship of the
grandparent and
grandchild, including the
best interest of the child.
Courts may also grant
visitation if the child’s
parents are divorced or
the parent who is the
child of the grandparent
is deceased. Adoption
cuts off all visitation
rights.
SOUTH CAROLINA: A
court may grant
visitation if one parent is
deceased, or the parents are divorced or
separated. The court
must consider the
relationship between the
grandparent and the
child, as well as the
parent and the child.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
SOUTH DAKOTA: The
custody statute does not
provide statutory factors
for a court to determine
proper custody. A court
may grant visitation if
one parent is deceased,
or the parents are
divorced or separated.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless
adoption is granted to a
step-parent or
grandparent of the child.
TENNESSEE:
Tennessee courts held
that the previous version
of the grandparent
visitation statute was
unconstitutional. The
Tennessee Legislature
amended the statute to
comport with the state
constitution. Under the
revised statute, a court
may grant visitation
rights to a grandparent
only in one of the
following situations: (1)
the mother or father of
the child is deceased; (2)
the child’s parents are
divorced or were never
married to one another;
(3) the child’s mother or
father has been missing
for the preceding six
months; (4) a court in
another state has ordered
grandparent visitation;
(5) the child previously
lived with the
grandparent for 12
months or more; (6) the
child and grandparent(s)
maintained a significant
relationship for 12
months. If one of these
events occurs, the court
may award visitation
right if the child is in
danger of substantial
harm should the court
deny visitation and
visitation is in the best
interests of the child.
TEXAS: The custody
statute does not provide
statutory factors for a
court to determine
proper custody.
Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include a
determination that one
of the child’s parents is
deceased, incompetent,
incarcerated, or has had
his or her parental rights
terminated. Visitation
may also be awarded if
the parents are divorced,
the child has been
abused or neglected, the
child has been
adjudicated a delinquent
or in need of
supervision, or the child has lived with the
grandparent for at least
six months within 24
months of the filing of
the petition for
visitation. Adoption cuts
off the visitation rights
of the grandparent
unless the adoption is
granted to a stepparent.
UTAH: Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include whether a
parent is deceased, or
whether the parents are
divorced or separated.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
VERMONT: Conditions
for grandparent
visitation rights include
consideration of whether
a parent is deceased,
incompetent, or whether
the child has been
abandoned. Adoption
cuts off all visitation
rights of grandparents
unless the adoption is
granted to a stepparent
or a relative of the child.
VIRGINIA:
Determination of
grandparent visitation is
made during a suit for
dissolution of the
marriage of the child’s
parents. Adoption cuts
off all visitation rights of
grandparents. WASHINGTON: The
United States Supreme
Court case of Troxel v.
Granville ruled the
Washington grandparent
visitation statute was
unconstitutional.
Although the
Washington legislature
subsequently amended
the statute, the
Washington Supreme
Court in 2005 struck don
WEST VIRGINIA: The
custody statute does not
provide statutory factors
for a court to determine
proper custody.
Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include
consideration of whether
a parent is deceased, the
child has resided with
the grandparent and
subsequently was
removed by a parent, or
the grandparent in
several circumstances
has been denied
visitation by a parent.
Adoption cuts off all
visitation rights of
grandparents.
WISCONSIN:
Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include
consideration of the
relationship between the
grandparent and
grandchild. Visitation
may also be permitted if
one of the child’s
parents is deceased.
Adoption cuts off the
visitation rights of
grandparents unless
adoption is granted to a
step-parent.
WYOMING: The
custody statute does not
provide statutory factors
for a court to determine
proper custody.
Conditions for
grandparent visitation
rights include
consideration of the
child’s best interest and
the impairment of the
rights of the parents.