Getting Grandparent Visitations Rancho Cucamonga Parents Must Abide By

By Dorothy Graham


Families disagree all the time. Sometimes the disagreements can get quite heated and people stop talking to one another. Unfortunately, a few parent use their children to get back at the grandparents by denying them access to the little ones. When grandparents feel like they have no other recourse, or suspect the children are in a dangerous situation, they may seek legal grandparent visitations Rancho Cucamonga parents have no choice but to abide by.

Before you go to this extreme, you need to sit down and think about what exactly it is that you want. You might be seeking the legal right to have access to your grandchildren with a court ordered visitation schedule. If it's your belief that one or both of the parents is suffering from substance abuse, or resorting to physical violence, you will be concerned enough to sue for partial or full custody, at least until the parents demonstrate sobriety.

Getting custody is difficult, and the courts are only concerned with what is in the best interest of the children. To actually get custody grandparents have to prove that there are extraordinary circumstances that require it. This must be something like abandonment, neglect, or abuse. If you have been acting as the parent for a period of time, you may be able to convince the court that you have a right to custody.

If you decide to go forward, you are going to have to retain the services of an experienced attorney. Your best choice is probably a family law attorney. You will have many meetings with your attorney. At the first consultation, you need to bring all the necessary documentation with you, discuss the merits of your case, and find out what the fee structure is.

After all the information is gathered, you and your lawyer can start preparing your case. The case the lawyer argues will depend on the situation. Requesting a court ordered visitation schedule is usually fairly straightforward. Seeking temporary custody until the parents address their personal problems will require more work. Fighting for permanent guardianship means the grandchildren will be your responsibility until they are eighteen. This is the most complicated scenario.

After the petition has been filed, the opposing attorneys begin finalizing their cases. You may be subpoenaed and instructed to appear at a deposition where you will be questioned by the other side's attorney. A list of witnesses will be submitted to the court. The list may include expert witnesses.

If you really want to understand what is going on in court, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the language and court procedures. The judge may order the parties to enter into mediation to try and work out the differences prior to going to trial. You have no choice but to attend. If the mediation doesn't result in an agreement, the case proceeds.

Resolving differences before it gets to this point is certainly the best case scenario. If you believe your grandchildren are in imminent danger, you have no choice but to proceed. The welfare of the children should be everyone's priority.




About the Author:



Popular Posts