Working So Grandparents Can Maintain Relationships Or Pursue Custody In Houston And Beyond
The current law in Texas as it pertains to grandparents’ rights to custody or access to their grandchildren is quite narrow and very specific in its criteria.
Attorney Travis Thompson and the firm of Law Thompson, P.C. in Houston, are available to provide quality representation for grandparents with child custody and visitation issues, conservatorship and adoption goals that benefit children whose parents are negligent, unfit, abusive, drug-addicted, on military duty overseas, imprisoned or deceased.
Our office can recommend a number of legal strategies when a child’s birth parents have shirked parental responsibilities or a dispute arises over a parent’s resistant attitude to relinquishing custody.
Grandparents’ Rights To Visitation In Texas
Under Texas law, grandparents do not have any automatic right to see their grandchildren. The issue mostly commonly comes up in the context of a divorce or one parent’s death, where grandparents are abruptly cut off.
If the parent with primary custody refuses access, the grandparent(s) can petition for visitation. The court will examine whether the child had a bond and regular contact with the grandparent(s) and whether the grandchild’s best interests are served by regular visitation with Grandma and/or Grandpa.
We can assess your standing to seek visitation and help you present a strong case for remaining in your grandchild’s life.
Grandparents And Custody
Increasingly, grandparents are stepping in to fill the void when the natural parents are absent or unable to care for a child. A temporary situation may become a long-term or even permanent fix when grandparents petition the court to assume formal custody of their grandchildren.
This could include something as simple as an agreed order between the parents and the grandparents that the grandparents are going to have custody and raise the children. Or, in certain extreme cases, it may involve a voluntary or involuntary termination of parental rights by the natural parents, followed by an adoption by the grandparents.
Travis Thompson is a board-certified family law specialist who can help you take the steps to keep your grandchild in the family and out of the foster care system.
Get Answers And Advocacy At Law Thompson, P.C.
Your initial consultation on the subject of grandparents’ rights will be confidential and informative. To arrange this important first meeting, call Houston lawyer Travis Thompson at 281-369-8665 or send us an email message.
Our Houston office represents clients in Harris County, Montgomery County and surrounding counties.