06 Mar Did you know that ? Grandparents can ask for access rights to their grandchildren.
Grandpa and Grandma are the grand parents of Julie and Julia, two little twin girls of 8 years old. The relationship between the twins’ parents and Grandpa and Grandma have been difficult for many years. Despite this, they have always made the effort to get along. Grandpa and Grandma are very involved in their grandchildren’s lives: movie nights, picnics in the living room and long phone calls always await. However, the last argument was very serious, to the point where the twins’ parents have since prevented Grandpa and Grandma to have any contact with them.
Did you know that Grandpa and Grandma can request access rights to their grandchildren? The law states that parents cannot prevent grandchildren from having a relationship with their grandparents, unless there is a serious reason. Grandpa and Grandma can ask a judge to allow them to see the twins as often as they did before the problem arose. Obviously, the purpose of this request for visitation rights will have to be to give the twins an opportunity to get to know their grandparents as well as to maintain and develop a strong bond with them.
As for the parents, they will only be able to oppose to the demand by proving that their decision to prevent contact was justified by a serious reason. An argument between the parents and Grandpa and Grandma is not considered a serious enough reason to prevent access.
If you face such a situation and need further advice, you should consult a lawyer…