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Thursday, 11 December 2008 05:22 |
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Since grandparents have special, loving bonds with their grandchildren, courts have adopted some form of grandparent visitation right laws. Regardless of the extent of the law, the purpose is to grant grandparents the legal right to maintain contact with the children they love. The concept of grandparent visitation rights in Michigan is a rather new legal development, arising out of the 2000 US Supreme Court case Troxel v. Granville, 530 US 57. In this case, the Court struck down a state law that denied grandparent visitation rights, holding that giving grandparents the right to petition for visitation rights did not amount to an assault on the integrity of the family unit.
As a result of the Troxel decision, every state has adopted its own interpretation of grandparent visitation rights. In Michigan, a court may award visitation rights if the child’s parents’ marriage is terminated, the parents separate or custody of the child is given to a third party. However, adoption cuts off the visitation rights of grandparents unless the adoption is granted to a stepparent. Despite this law, many grandparents still find themselves involved in a struggle to gain visitation rights with their grandchildren. If you are a grandparent who is facing resistance from the parent to see your grandchildren, you need to talk with your Michigan Family Law Attorney about what you can do. According to Michigan law, you have the right to see your grandchildren. With your Michigan Family Law Lawyer, these rights will be enforced. Picture courtesy of solylunafamilia of flickr
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 December 2008 12:58 )
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