Grandparents Rights in Queens, NY

Handling Family Law Matters for Grandparents in New York

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. live 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 grandchildren. Grandparents often have to fight for their visitation rights after divorces occur between the child's parents.

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 with your petition for visitation. Our skilled Queens family 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.

Do Grandparents Get Visitation Rights in New York?

In New York, grandparents have legal grounds to request visitation with their grandchild as long as it’s in the child’s best interest. The following grounds apply:

• They had a substantial relationship with the grandchild
• One or both parents have died
• The parents have prevented them from having a relationship with the grandchild

New York's laws concerning awarding visitation rights of grandparents other non-parent family members are complex, which is why it is important to work with a qualified attorney when dealing with these matters.

It may be necessary for you to seek custody of the child when the grandchild is being cared for by an unfit parent or guardian, such as one who is abusing or neglecting the child. Custody cases come with their own legal issues, and grandparent custody rights can become especially complicated by issues with the biological parents of the grandchild.

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.