Grandparents' Rights

Legal Information About Grandparents' Rights in Arizona

Grandparents can usually count on their children to help them maintain strong relationships with their grandchildren. Regular visits to grandma and granddad's house is, for many families, a common part of everyday life.

For some grandparents, however, regular visits with their grandchildren are not possible. In other cases, a grandparent may need to seek custody or adoption of a grandchild because one or both parents are unfit to carry out parental responsibilities.

A Phoenix Law Firm That Protects Arizona Grandparents' Rights

At the Law Offices of Wendy Raquel Hernandez, P.C., we have extensive experience representing grandparents who need help securing custody of or visitation rights with their grandchildren.

Grandparents' rights continue to evolve as an increased number of grandparents file petitions for visitation rights or custody. Because our law firm frequently represents grandparents, Attorney Hernandez knows the most current state of the law regarding grandparents as related to their grandchildren.

Visitation Rights Versus Custody

In Arizona, absent evidence that they are unfit to supervise children, grandparents will likely be able to secure visitation with their grandchildren. Grandparents are unlikely to be granted as much visitation time as a parent would — except in unusual cases where one parent has died or been incarcerated for a long period, for example.

It is harder for a grandparent to obtain custody of a grandchild than to obtain visitation. To do so, the grandparent would have to file a petition alleging of the child's parents are unfit to exercise their parenting responsibilities. Examples of situations where a court might find parents unfit would be if the child's mother were addicted to illegal narcotics or the child's father were unknown or in prison.

Taking the Next Step

If you have questions about a grandparent's rights to visitation or custody, call us toll free at (888) 541-2919 or send an e-mail to make an appointment with an experienced lawyer.