Practice Areas

Grandparent Rights

The family bonds between children and their grandparents are special. Often, grandparents fill the role of caretaker, babysitter, mentor, confidant, and friend. The legal right of grandparents to have a relationship with their grandchildren has been both complex and in flux under Texas law. In fact, grandparent rights have been modified by the Texas legislature and case law perhaps more than any other family law issue during the past few years.

What are the rights of grandparents when:

• the parents are not providing the basic needs of the grandchildren?
• the parents are divorcing and grandparents want to be assured of access to and visitation with their grandchildren?
• a parent dies and the surviving parent is preventing the grandparents from seeing their grandchildren?
• a parent is deployed in the military overseas?
• a parent of the grandchildren is incarcerated?
• Child Protective Services is investigating the parents of the grandchildren for abuse or neglect and are talking about placing the grandchildren in foster care?
• the rights of their child (the parent of the grandchildren) are terminated?

Family law attorneys Jerry Bain, Michael Jarrett, and Bruce Bain are board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This is your assurance that our lawyers have met stringent guidelines of competency and experience. Of our five paralegals in the family law section, Ginny Burgess, Tamara May, Kim Gillard, and Alice Zillmer are certified by the National Association of Legal Assistants and three are also board-certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. For more information about our qualifications, please see our attorney profiles.