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Grandparents' Rights in Virginia - VA Visitation, Custody, and Legal Strategies to Fight for Your Grandchildrens Best Interests Through VA Family Law

Virginia Child Custody Laws, VA Grandparents Visitation Rights, Filing Divorce Papers, Parenting Plan Agreement, Mediation, Evaluation, and Court Hearing Support

Virginia grandparents’ legal rights, guidelines, regulations, and rules of law allow you to ask for visitation, and temporary custody of your grandchildren. VA grandparents can also file for full custody, guardianship, or adoption, to raise their grand-kids, through a VA family law custody court judicial process. The proper legal advice, guidance, and strategies are key to ensure a successful outcome to any predicament regarding your grandchildren. Fortunately, studies have shown that the “Best Interests” for your grandchildren is that they have an active relationship with their grandparents. Grandfathers and grandmothers can often provide a healthier and more stable environment than the children’s biological parents. As a result, Virginia’s “Best Interest of the Child” guideline fully supports a grandparents’ rights for visitation and custody. The legal extent to which you can visit, provide, and support your grandchildren will need to be determined and approved through a VA family law court hearing litigation process.

Children are all too often kept from their grandparents, or exposed to abuse and neglect. Typically, most if not all of these circumstances Grandparents Visitation and Custody Rights - Grandchildren Need Grandparents Help Protecting Them from Abuse and Neglectare completely out of their control. This unhealthy environment is a damaging situation for children’s emotional and physical well-being. Children often don’t have a voice to be heard, and it is our responsibility as grandparents to be that voice. A voice that defends, supports, protects, and cares for all grandchildren that so desperately need our help.

The Virginia Judicial Legal System Recognizes the Importance of Grandparents’ Rights Regarding Visitation and Custody of Grandchildren; and Fully Understands That Abuse and Neglect are Prevalent in VA Families.

VA family law fully acknowledges the ability for grandparents to provide a positive and stable environment. An environment, which is able to provide leadership, and a parenting platform so many children desperately need. Grandchildren even spending limited time with their grandparents can help provide the much-needed comfort and security that children require on a regular basis.

The situation grandchildren are exposed to varies greatly. Some are in a positive stable environment, and grandparents are simply denied access or may be allowed very limited contact with their grandchildren. The other end of the spectrum is a situation that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. If you can prove your grandchildren are being subjected to an abusive and neglectful environment, the Virginia judicial system will act quickly and forcefully on your behalf. Don’t think for one second that as grandparents your rights will be restricted or limited. Remember, the “Best Interest of the Children” is a standard that is fully recognized and supported in the state of Virginia.

If your grandchildren are in an abusive or neglected environment you may file a petition for a VA child protective proceeding. If abuse, neglect, or imminent danger exist, child protective services may enforce an emergency removal of the children and place them into protective custody. A child protective proceeding is typically followed by a number of court hearings. A fact-finding court hearing is set to determine if the allegations are true. A dis-positional hearing is set to decide what should be done if the child has been neglected or abused. Finally, a permanency hearing is set to determine and finalize the permanent placement and security of the children.

It’s important to recognize, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) was established to ensure that any Broken Families, Marriages, Relationships, Children, Teenagers, and Parents Need Help Nowchild custody litigation occurs in the child’s “home state”. The “home state” is defined as the last state where a child has lived for 6 consecutive months with a parent. This act was adopted to discourage parents from moving out-of-state in an attempt to manipulate the judicial system for whatever reason. Parental attempted kidnapping by moving children to another state or jurisdiction was one of the main reasons the UCCJEA was adopted.

Virginia Grandparents’ Legal Rights, Guidelines, Regulations, and Rules of Law Enable You to Defend Your Visitation Rights, Fight for Custody, or the “Best Interests” of Your Grandchildren Through VA Family Law.

The modification to your grandchild’s custody situation may be modified in Virginia on your behalf. In some cases it will be a temporary modification based on a continuing effort of both parents to SUCCESSFULLY overcome the obstacles that prevent them from retaining full custody again. Parents inability to provide a safe, stable, humane, and secure home environment can be due to many different factors, including but not limited to: (substance abuse, incarceration, mental health issues, anger management, poor leadership skill sets, endangerment, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, divorce, etc.). In other cases you may be awarded full custody. Often times, full custody comes with the option to legally adopt your grandchildren.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have no legal rights in the state of Virginia when it Grandparents Legal Rights for Visitation and Child Custody - Family Law Custody Court Judicial Procedurescomes to your grandchildren. VA family law will help ensure your grand-kids get what they deserve and need. Remember to focus your efforts on their “Best Interests” at all times. Your grandchildren will thank you when they are mature enough to realize the decisions and sacrifices you made for them and their future.

I cannot stress enough, the fact that grandchildren need their grandparents. For some grand-kids seeing their grandparents on a regular basis is the best option. Others need to be removed from a physically and emotionally damaging environment permanently. Grandparents are often the first and best option for children to find the stable and secure environment they desperately need and deserve. Check out the links below to help secure visitation with your grandchildren, or fight for the rights of someone who is unable to defend themselves.

The time to act is now, because all children deserve the best that our society has to offer. As a Virginia grandparent you have rights. Grandparents Visitation and Child Custody Rights, Laws, Advice, Support, and Dispute Resolution Through Negotiation and Court LitigationThese rights enable you to request visitation, and also allow you to be a voice for someone who may desperately need your help and support. Life can come with many challenges, but if you believe that everything happens for a reason then life’s challenges will suddenly become an obstacle with a manageable solution. Don’t forget, Virginia grandparents’ legal rights, regulations, guidelines, and rules of law, regarding grandchild visitation and custody, were also legislated for guidance, advice, and strategies to support the “Best Interests of the Children” standard through VA family law.

5 Responses to “Virginia (VA) Grandparents’ Rights for Visitation, Custody, and Support”

  1. freida hays says:

    Hi, I live in Staunton, VA. My daughter and son in law are married and still together. My daughter and I have had some complications, and she has threatened to keep me from seeing my 1 year old grandson. She’s pregnant now and says she doesn’t want me to see him no more and I’m so hurt. I’m all this baby knows, I have been babysitting him and helping her out all for nothing then she just up and takes him away. Please help! Freida Hays

    • Christa Adkins says:

      Freida,
      What happened in your case? Did you get custody of your grandchild? I am in a similar situation and I am looking for some much needed guidance and direction in this heartbreaking situation. Please help me!
      Christa

  2. Emily says:

    As a mother raising two small children in a stable and loving home, what defense do I have against an abusive mother who wants to have access to my children and takes me to court (as she has threatened)? How do I keep my children from being exposed to emotional abuse by a grandparent (that I fortunately escaped)?

  3. Crystal says:

    We have full legal and physical custody of our grandson and the mother has abandoned him. We want to file for adoption from the mothers side since she has nothing to do with him and has not paid any child support. What do I need to do to start the adoption?

  4. anonymous says:

    My son never married his girlfriend and they had a daughter. She is now 10. The girl married someone else a couple years ago. They live in a trailer with 9 people and two dogs. Social services is continually in their lives. My granddaughter stayed back and still writes her letters backwards. They don’t play with her, read to her, and she smelled like dog crap last time I saw her. They are threatening for us not to see the child because my son called them and had an argument with them. They “claim” he gave up his parental rights, but that’s not true as there is no legal paperwork either has produced. I need a referral for this situation. Thank you.

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