Your Legal Guide Through Life’s Twists And Turns

4 important child custody issues grandparents should consider

| Sep 21, 2016 | Child Custody and Visitation

There are a lot of reasons why a grandparent might assume custody of his or her grandchild. In many cases, grandparents are left to assume custody of their grandchildren because it is the only other option aside from seeing their grandchildren swept away into a Tennessee foster care program. If you are a grandparent who is taking over custody of a grandchild, there are a few things you might want to think about with regard to your grandchildren and their needs.

First, grandparents should consider the safety of their grandchildren. Have the children been taken away from the parents because the parents were unfit to provide a safe environment for their upbringing? Is there a danger that the parents will take back the grandchildren and not give them the care they require? If either of these is true, Child Protective Services may need to get involved.

Second, grandparents should consider the permanency of the custody arrangements. There are numerous legal strategies that can be employed to ensure that the grandparent retains permanent custody of their grandchildren and that the parents cannot take them back and put them in danger again.

Third, grandparents may want to consider whether their grandchildren will be permitted to visit with their parents. On this topic, there are a lot of factors to consider, like whether the parents are even interested in visiting the children, whether it is in the best interest of the children to see the parents, and cost and time concerns relating to the visitations.

Fourth, grandparents need to think about their finances and health. Particularly, can the grandparents afford to raise their grandchildren and do they have the physical strength and mental fortitude to do so in their old age?

Grandparents who are considering taking over custody of a grandchild will want to speak with a qualified Tennessee family law attorney. A family law attorney will be able to provide strategies and advice to ensure that grandparents handle this issue in the most appropriate fashion for all parties concerned.

Source: helpguide.org, “Grandparents' Rights and Custody Options,” accessed Sep. 21, 2016

Archives

FindLaw Network