Minnesota Grandparents’ Rights Lawyer & Attorney
In the state of Minnesota, grandparents are given some legal right to visitation with their grandchildren. If your child is deceased and you are being denied access to your grandchildren, you may go to court and request a set parenting time schedule as if you were the parent of the children. Otherwise, the court allows grandparents to seek visitation rights as an interested third party or de facto custodian.
The Rights Of Grandparents
The Minnesota third party custody law says that grandparents have rights to visitation with their grandchildren, especially if their grandchildren are living in a less than favorable environment. Grandparents also play a valuable role in a child’s life, so it is important that grandparents can visit their grandchildren.
Grandparents may find themselves in a situation where they are not entirely sure where they stand. Here are areas where a third-party custody lawyer can help grandparents:
- Grandparent visitation – When parents’ divorce or one parent is deceased, grandparents have a legal right to visitation. A third-party custody attorney at Heimerl & Lammers can help grandparents obtain visitation rights.
- Grandparent custody (aka Third Party Custody) – If a grandparent finds that their grandchildren are endangered through abuse, negligence, or disregard for their well-being, grandparents have the right to seek custody in order to protect the best interests of the child. If you think your grandchildren are in danger with their primary caretakers, contact the attorneys at Heimerl & Lammers today.
De Facto Custodian
If your grandchild has resided in your home and you have acted as a primary caretaker for them, then you may be able to get custody of your grandchild as a de facto custodian. The child must live with you for an extended period of time (over 12 months) and the child’s parent(s) must be failing in some way to provide for the child’s needs. If you believe that you qualify for this, or have questions regarding your own situation, contact the Minnesota Divorce Attorneys at Heimerl & Lammers today.
Third Party Custody Rights
If you do not qualify under the more specific requirements of a de facto custodian, but you believe it is in the best interest of your grandchild to be in your care and custody, or even to have set visitation time with you, then you may be able to file a petition to the court as an interested third party. This is not limited only to grandparents and allows for a child to be removed from a situation that may not be the best for them. If you believe that you qualify for this, or have questions regarding your own situation, contact the Minnesota Divorce Attorneys at Heimerl & Lammers today.
Minnesota Custody Attorney
A custody attorney can provide all of the following in a Minnesota third party custody case:
- Representation of a grandparent seeking custody of grandchildren
- Representation of a grandparent when their son is involved in a paternity dispute
- Non-relative third parties seeking custody of a child
- Grandparents seeking custody while preserving parenting time and visitation rights of the mother
- Grandparent visitation rights
The goal is to do what is best for the child, while helping you meet your needs. We will work with psychologists and child specialists to ensure that every action is in the best interest of the child.
If you have been raising your grandchildren on your own, you should have a custody consent decree, signed by the parent, giving you legal rights to enroll the children in school, take them to the doctor, and make day-to-day decisions for them. Contact the Minneapolis family law attorneys at Heimerl & Lammers today. We can help you draft an agreement that fits your needs and walk you through the court process to get custodial or visitation rights to your grandchildren.
Our Family Law Attorneys
The family law attorneys at Heimerl & Lammers have strong roots in the Minneapolis / St. Paul community and are dedicated to helping you with all of your family law needs.
Meet our family law attorneys:
All of our attorneys are familiar with resources and programs available to families in the Twin Cities. The majority of their time is spent handling cases in all areas of family law, from divorce, to custody, to wills and trusts.
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The attorneys and staff at our firm take the time to actually listen to our clients. We will carefully explain the process you are facing and guide you through it while looking out for your best interests. We know that each client’s individual situation is unique and important to them. Therefore, we won’t treat your representation with the “cookie-cutter” approach other law firms seem to take.
If you need to speak with an attorney, contact us today. We can assist with a wide array of issues, including divorce, child custody, family law, personal injury, wrongful death, construction injuries, truck accident injuries, and workers’ compensation.
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