The state of Ohio gives rights to grandparents with regard to custody and visitation of their grandchildren. In order to get custody when the child has at least one living parent, a grandparent must prove that the legal parents are unfit to care for the child and that placement with a grandparent is in the child’s best interest. Because these kinds of custody cases are usually very emotional, it is important to have an experienced attorney handle any case for Child Custody in Dayton OH.
In addition to the right to request legal custody, grandparents also have the right to court-ordered visitation with their minor grandchildren. Ohio family courts recognize that maintaining a relationship with their grandparents has a positive effect on a child’s growth and development. These cases are most commonly heard regarding children of divorced parents where one parent has sole custody of the child or children. The parents of the noncustodial parent might get the court to grant them visitation rights if they can prove that spending time with them is in the children’s best interest.
Grandparent visitation is also relevant when a single woman gives birth to a child and the paternal grandparents have an interest in being a part of the child’s life. Working with a skilled family law attorney is important when the custodial parent is not in agreement with grandparent visitation. Cases like this often require aggressive representation to prove to the court that the custodial parent has denied the grandparents sufficient time with the child or children without good cause.
In contested cases, a lawyer can be very helpful in explaining the process and preparing grandparents for what might happen in court. There is always a chance that a petition for visitation or Child Custody in Dayton OH can be denied or the amount of visitation a grandparent hoped to get might be reduced. When a grandparent is unable to make an informal arrangement with the custodial parent of their grandchild, it may be necessary to go to court. It simply doesn’t make sense to file a petition in a sensitive case like this without an attorney who understands family law.
