When spouses divorce, they may feel that giving up time for a child to spend with their grandparents is too much of an imposition when parenting time may already be limited. However, grandparents can be an important part of a child’s life and to deprive a child visits with grandparents may interfere with what may be a very important relationship to the child. It is often just a matter of thinking of ways that the grandparents can be part of the child’s life rather than worrying about planning extended visits. It may that grandparents can babysit regularly giving a parent an opportunity to run some errands or inviting grandparents to attend a child’s various sports activities so that they can have a consistent presence in the child’s life. If grandparents live at a distance, picking out one or two special times during the year that they can squeeze in a visit goes a long way.
Sometimes a parent and their parents, or parents in-laws, may harbor ill feelings toward one another and object to a child having a relationship with one or both sets of grandparents. In situations of divorce, a court will often look to a child’s best interests when parents or grandparents are seeking to limit or enhance visitation respectively. A court may look at whether there is an existing relationship between grandparent and grandchild that continues to be in the best interest of the child and weigh that against a parent’s right to make decisions – and their reasoning – on the child’s behalf. Sometimes the court may even consider the wishes of a child who is old enough to make a decision.
Proving that grandparent visitation following divorce is in the best interests of the child typically falls on the grandparents to prove, which could seem insurmountable. The family law attorneys at Schlesinger & Strauss LLC have decades of experience fighting for Illinois grandparents seeking visitation with their grandchildren in cases of divorce, separation or other issues where it can be demonstrated it is in the best interests of the grandchild. Contact our Lake County Illinois grandparent rights attorneys for assistance at 847-680-4970.
