As a grandparent, you have a special relationship with the children of your kids. You may be the one who provides comfort when your grandchildren have had a bad day or even live with them if your child has recently gone through some difficult transitions. Unfortunately, if those transitions include a divorce, you could find yourself in a situation where you no longer have access to your grandchildren.
If your child’s ex starts refusing them and you access to the children, you could wind up completely cut off from your grandkids as a result. Thankfully, Georgia law recognizes the important role that grandparents play.
In the event of a divorce or similar situation where their child loses custody or parenting rights, Georgia grandparents can potentially request court-ordered visitation to maintain the relationship with their grandkids.
The focus of Georgia family law revolves around what is best for the kids
Children typically thrive in environments where they have stability and social support. As a grandparent, you have a unique opportunity to share a deep bond with your grandchildren that can develop into a major source of emotional and social support for your grandkids.
Discovering critical family relationships can be very damaging for children, especially during a tumultuous time like the divorce of their parents. Awarding grandparent visitation can be a way for the courts to limit the disruption of divorce causes for children and also to look out for their best interests by helping legally protect their most precious relationships.
Going to court can’t hurt a relationship that is already on the rocks
Some grandparents may hesitate to assert their right to seek visitation because they don’t want to alienate the other parent of their grandchild. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that alienation has already begun and the relationship is no longer healthy.
Requesting of visitation from the courts in order to protect your grandkids and your relationship with them may cause more conflict in the short term, but it will protect your access to the grandchildren. Hopefully, once the emotions of the divorce calm down, the custodial parent will be able to re-evaluate the situation and realize that you are serious about playing a supportive role in the lives of the kids, which benefits them and the entire family.
