Grandparent-Grandchild Visitation In Florida | Tampa Family Law Attorney
Dec 7, 2016
Unfortunately, sometimes when there is divorce and/or death within a family, there are also visitation-related disputes. While the courts will always be most concerned with what is in the best interests of the child, it is also important to note that grandparents do have certain visitation rights under some circumstances.
The Law in Florida
When it is in the best interests of the child, the court will award reasonable rights of visitation to a grandparent if:
In determining a child’s best interests, the court considers the following factors:
Petitioning the Court
If a grandparent wishes to obtain court-ordered visitation with the grandchild, they would petition the court for visitation, whereby the court would then hold a preliminary hearing to determine if the petitioner/grandparent has made a prima facie showing of parental unfitness or significant harm to the child.
If the court finds that there is evidence of significant harm to the child, it may appoint a guardian ad litem and refer the matter to family mediation. The court can also proceed with a final hearing if family mediation does not resolve the issue.
Posted in Family Law · By HD Law Partners