Grandparents’ Rights in Queens, NY

Queens Divorce Lawyer Handling Family Law Matters

Grandparents play an essential role in their grandchildren's lives. In addition to offering their grandchildren emotional support, grandparents also oftentimes assist with vital childcare and financial support. In fact, the Pew Research Center found in 2010 that 1 in 10 children in the U.S. resides with a grandparent, reflecting sharp increase in this statistic that occurred during the Great Recession.

Of those children, 4 in 10 are primarily raised by one or more grandparents. Considering how important grandparents can be in their grandchildren's lives, it is important that these individuals' rights are protected when it comes to having access to their grandsons and granddaughters.

If you are a grandparent in or around Queens, New York who is being unfairly denied the ability to spend time with your grandchildren, you can turn to the Law Offices of Donald Mastrodomenico, P.C. for assistance. Our skilled Queens divorce attorneys can help you fight to protect your rights so that you and your grandchildren can maintain your relationship. We help grandparents who are seeking visitation rights, as well as those who are seeking child custody of their grandchildren.

Taking a Stand for Your Visitation Rights

New York's laws concerning visitation rights of grandparents other non-parent relatives are complex, which is why it is important to work with a qualified divorce attorney when dealing with types of matters. The important thing to know is that you will need prove to the court that such visitation rights would be in the grandchild's or grandchildren's best interests. This will usually require showing that you and your grandchild had a substantial relationship before you were denied access to the minor.

Grandparents often have to fight for their visitation rights after divorces occur between the grandchildren's parents, though they can also occur as the result of other events. It may be necessary for a grandparent to fight for custody when the grandchild's is being cared for by an unfit parent or guardian, such as one who is abusing or neglecting the child.

When something as valuable as your relationship with your grandchild is placed in jeopardy, you will want not want to risk having mediocre legal representation.