A previous post on this blog reminded Phoenix, Arizona, grandparents that getting court-ordered visitation of the grandchildren is an uphill battle. It is true that parents have special privileges to control who sees their children and when, even when it comes to their children’s own grandparents.
Thus, the best way for grandparents in Arizona to see their grandchildren is to maintain a decent enough relationship with the children’s parents or surviving parent. However, this doesn’t mean that grandparents should just give up if they wind up having a longstanding relationship with their grandchildren restricted or cut off. After sometimes parents really do act out of malice or ill-will when they withhold visits, and grandparents at that point are well justified and standing up for what rights they do have under Arizona law.
The attorney at our law office believes a key to pursuing a case for grandparent visitation is preparation. In other words, grandparents going to court have to be aware that they have several hurdles to cross. Rather than just rely on their status as a grandparent, they will need to show a judge why exactly they should get the benefit or a court order for visits. If after analyzing a case we don’t think we’ll be able to do this, we let our clients know as much and help them explore other options.
In this respect, we work hard to investigate our cases thoroughly so as to compile a convincing argument that our clients should be able to continue to see their grandchildren and that, in fact, it is best for the child that they do so. Of course, we cannot promise a good result in every case, but we have successfully resolved many disputes over grandparents’ visitation.
