Grandparent Rights

Texas law can give grandparents rights, and these rights are usually reserved for cases involving emotional or physical danger to the child. Our experienced team of family lawyers can help advise about your rights in a Texas child custody case.

Central Texas Lawyers Experienced with Grandparent Rights

Texas law prefers to let parents make decisions about their children. This is based a parent’s constitutional right to decide what is best for his or her own children. However, there are limits to these parental rights, and a grandparent may provide the stability and safety that a child needs. Some of these cases involve:

Child abuse or extreme neglect by a parent, stepparent, or dating partner
Drug use by someone in the child’s home
Severe mental health issues
Criminal activity by a parent or someone in the child’s home

Proving these circumstances exist in a child’s home takes experience and an understanding of the legal requirements in a grandparent case. Our team of lawyers stands ready to discuss your case.

Grandparent Custody and Visitation

Where risk exists for a child, a grandparent must then decide the next steps. A grandparent can file a case in court and request custody. In some limited cases, a grandparent may also ask for visitation rights only. Filing a court case for custody will necessarily involve a grandparent bringing his or her own child to court. This can have a long-term impact on family relationships. Short of filing a court case, an experienced lawyer can also help generate a plan to help with the immediate safety needs of the child. This can include making a report to the appropriate authorities or having a plan to document the risk to the child for a future court case.

Our experienced team of lawyers understands that many factors must be weighed in a suit involving grandparent rights. We are here to listen, advise, and help you make these difficult decisions.