What are a Grandparent’s Visitation Rights in California?

A grandparent's right to visitation of their grandchildren is determined by a number of factors in California. A grandparent can receive visitation rights if it is in the child's best interest in the case of a deceased parent or if the parents are divorced, currently living separately on a permanent or indefinite basis, or if one parent is absent for over a month without the other parent having knowledge of his or her whereabouts. Except for in the case of parental death, for a grandparent to receive visitation rights, one parent must join in the petition of the grandparent or the child must not be residing with either parent.

A court will determine if the grandparent has a preexisting relationship with their grandchild to determine if grandparent visitation is in the best interest of the child, and the court will balance the interest of the child with the parent's right to exercise parental authority.

If you are a grandparent who would like the right to visit your grandchildren, now is the time contact Claery & Green and speak with a Los Angeles family law attorney.