Brave Grandparents

June 4, 2011

Alabama Senate passes grandparents visitation rights bill

The Alabama Senate passed a bill this week that would give grandparents visitation rights to their grandchildren. The bill has previously passed the Alabama House of Representatives in April and it now heads to the Governor for his signature. The grandparents rights bill (HB 348) was sponsored by Representative Harry Shiver of Bay Minette. It is nicknamed the “Grandparent’s Bill.” The bill was pushed by supporter Richard Deblase of Mobile who lost his grandchildren when they were killed by their […]
June 2, 2011

Where to go for information about grandparents custody

For a lot of reasons, grandparents custody is on the rise these days. Much of this is due to the percentages of marriage that end in divorce, but there are also often factors such as the premature death of a parent, parental problems with drugs or incarceration, or financial problems tied to these tough times. Any of these things can cause grandparents to have to take responsibility for their grandkids. For grandparents, it is important to understand what custody means and […]
May 28, 2011

Where do I get information on grandparents visitation rights?

With changing familial structures that involve divorce and remarriage, some family relationships and roles fall to the wayside. Grandparents are often victims of these changes, with their grandparents visitation rights commonly terminated upon a relationship’s demise. Because of the bond between grandparent and grandchild, it’s important to understand just what constitutes grandparents visitation rights. Grandparents’ rights are actually governed by state statutes, which are given effect in other jurisdictions via federal law. Generally speaking, grandparents’ rights to visitation fall into […]
May 20, 2011

Governor signs new Kansas grandparents rights bill into law

Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a new Kansas grandparents rights bill into law, in an effort to give grandparents more rights in child-in-need-of-care cases. The House Substitute for Senate Bill 23, which expands grandparents rights to take over parenting when their children are deemed unfit parents, was signed by Brownback earlier this month. The bill gives grandparents automatic standing in court in child-in-need-of-care cases. Without automatic standing as interested parties, grandparents are not necessarily sent notice of proceedings involving their […]
March 20, 2011

The increasing importance of grandparents rights

Grandparents rights are becoming more and more important in our society, as the statistics clearly show. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 7 million children living with a grandparent in 2009, which is almost 10 percent of all children in the United States. The reasons vary as much as the families themselves, but the number of grandchildren living with their grandparents (one or both) continues to climb in the U.S. and it is important that grandparents understand their […]
March 14, 2011

Do grandparents have rights?

Many people start the journey toward learning about grandparents rights by asking the simplest question first: “Do grandparents have rights?” When you’re looking at the question “Do grandparents have rights?” you must look to the state of the American family and how that impacts older Americans. The past 30 years have seen tremendous changes when it comes to the American family. Consider these trends, from Professor Herbert S. Klein: Prior to 1980, births outside of marriage were less than 10 […]
March 5, 2011

The basis for grandparents rights

Most people will tell you that grandparents do not have any common law rights to see their grandchildren. These people are not entirely correct. There is no basis in constitutional law as regards to grandparent visitation rights in the USA. And yet, there are cases in this country all the time where grandparents are found to be entitled to visitation rights. To learn the latest laws and developments in your area with respect to grandparent rights to child custody and […]
February 21, 2011

Tips for grandparents raising their grandchildren

There are many reasons today why grandparents are raising their grandchildren. It is increasingly common and has accelerated over the last ten years. Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren should take these tips to become successful in their endeavors: First and foremost they have to take good care of themselves, because how can they take care of those kids if they cannot take care of themselves and goes with the saying they cannot give what they do not have. Always […]
February 16, 2011

Grandparents who want to pursue grandparents custody

Over the last two decades the numbers of children being raised by their grandparents has increased dramatically. Reasons for grandparents increasing their roles to become parents include things as diverse as parents being incarcerated, drug and alcohol abuse, divorec and abandonment and mental health issues, among others. Grandparents are keeping families together and serving as a safety net to keep children out of the formal foster care system. However, many grandparents face obstacles not encountered by biological parents, like the […]