Somerset County Grandparents’ Rights Lawyers

Grandparents’ Rights Lawyers: Preserving Your Bond With Your Grandchildren

Visitation rights are more commonly known as time that is spent between a child and their non-custodial parent. However, other circumstances might arise, lending to a case for visitation rights that extend beyond parents. All fifty states have some sort of grandparents’ visitation statute. In New Jersey, the laws sometimes also extend beyond when parents are not the guardians of their children. Our knowledgeable Somerset County family lawyers can help you navigate these complexities and ensure your rights as grandparents are protected.

Grandparents’ Visitation Rights in New Jersey

Non-parents, such as a grandparent or sibling, can ask the court for visitation rights with a child, even if a parent has physical custody of the child and opposes the visitation. New Jersey enacted these laws to attempt to bridge the gap between a parent’s right to raise their child as they see fit and what is in a child’s best interest.

When a parent opposes the visitation, it is imperative for the person seeking visitation to consult a Somerset child custody lawyer as soon as possible, as it is the responsibility of the person requesting access to prove that their visitation would be in the best interest of the child. Generally, eight factors weigh heavily when a court is deciding on whether grandparents or siblings should be allowed visitation:

• The relationship that exists between the applicant and the child in question.
• What effect the visitation may have on the household of the child, including his or her guardians.
• If there is a history of abuse, including sexual, emotional, and sexual. Previous neglect by the applicant will also be weighed in the decision.
• Parenting time spent between the parents, if they are involved, and how much time can be scheduled with the child’s best interests in mind.
• How long it has been since the applicant last had contact with the child.
• The relationship between the applicant and the person who has custody of the child.
• The perceived good faith of the applicant, along with their potential intentions and motives.
• Other factors that are directly relevant to the well-being of the child, including having a relationship with the biological family and whether or not the child wants visitation with the applicant (depending upon their age).

Keeping the Child in Mind

When someone needs to involve the court in decisions regarding when a child spends time with adults in his or her life, emotions are typically running high before any legal involvement has occurred. In some cases, visitation can be handled through mediation rather than in front of a court. When this happens, things can be kept civil and the child will likely feel less burdened or stressed by the situation at hand.

However, this may not be a viable option. No matter how the court proceedings or mediation goes, it is important to keep the child’s interests in mind. Weigh how important your involvement in your grandchild’s life is versus the potential stress or mistrust that can develop due to legal action.

Finding the right Somerset grandparents’ rights lawyer can help. A competent and compassionate lawyer will keep in mind that there is a child involved and will try to maintain the peace while uncomfortable situations are settled either through a court order or mediation.

Contact Our Somerset, NJ Grandparents’ Rights Lawyers

When it comes to visitation rights, the child is the most important person involved. The team of Somerset grandparents’ rights lawyers at the Law Offices of Kisha M. Hebbon understands the emotions involved in any legal case that involves children. We find the best solutions for each family to ensure the proper involvement of all parties. If you have further questions or wish to speak with our firm about your case, simply contact us today.