First and foremost, the court system will consider each case individually in order to determine what is best for the well-being of child and grandparent alike. You will need the help of an experienced attorney to ensure that your rights as a grandparent are upheld, but it is possible to petition for visitation rights in Alabama despite the ruling about the Grandparent VisitationToday’s society is filled with all manner of familial units and situations. Some of these are quite “untraditional” and might even lead to parents limiting grandparents’ access to their grandchildren. When this happens, it is only natural to feel upset and wonder about what, exactly, can be done to help the grandparents in question maintain a relationship with their grandchildren. The question of grandparent rights is one that differs widely from one state to another, and the laws that are active in one don’t necessarily translate to the other.
With all of that said, what exactly does Alabama law say about grandparents and their right to visit their grandchildren?
Alabama Law and Grandparent Rights
Unfortunately, the state of Alabama does not recognize grandparents as having many legal “rights” to their grandchildren. In fact, one relatively recent case saw the Grandparent Visitation Act itself declared unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme Court. That’s a decision that has held, and it means that, in deference to parental rights, grandparents only have the right to visitation under very specific circumstances. The good news, of course, is that the law still allows for grandparents’ rights to be established if certain conditions are met.
Visitation Rights Act. This is especially true if the parents of the child in question are deceased or divorced, if the child was abandoned by one or more parents, if the child was born outside of wedlock, and if the parents have previously denied the grandparents visitation rights.
Experienced Grandparents’ Rights Attorney in Alabama
It is important that you understand the importance of quickly hiring an experienced attorney if you are fighting for grandparent rights. The approval of such rights is not guaranteed, and in fact can be an uphill battle in Alabama. That’s why you need an attorney who knows what they’re doing to help ensure you have the best chance possible. The attorneys at Crawford Gentle Law, P.C., have the knowledge needed to represent you and fight for your rights aggressively.
