Legal Question in Family Law in Utah
Do great grandparents have a legal right to visit their greatgrand children?
We are 67 year old greatgrandparents of 2 and 3 year old girls. We have had an enormous role in helping to raise them while the parents have endured many crisis and seperations. It has been difficult for the mother (who suffers with seizures)to cope with two small babies. For over a year the three year old has actually lived with us four days and nights out of the week. (at times we have had her ten days at a stretch) Now with divorce looming the
mother has cut us out of lives of the children. The three year old has lost the only safety net and sense of security she has ever known.
We live only on our Social Security retirement. We cannot afford an attorney.
With the enormeous amount of proof we have of quality caregiving, nurturing and stability we have given to these children,(uneducated as we may be in terms of law) is it possible for my husband and I to,personally, file a petition with the court system for visitation? We don't want to take the children away from them. We just want to be a healthy part of their life.
Please,we need advice. There is so much pain.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Do great grandparents have a legal right to visit their greatgrand children
There is not a statutory right granting great grandparents visitation rights. There is a grandparent visitation statute, however, and a court may possibly include your petition under that statute. See: Ut Code Ann 30-5-2. It is worth a try. Contact Utah Legal Services who may provide legal assistance at a reduced rate or at no cost.
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