Can a non-parent ever obtain custody?
Yes. Non-parents, including grandparents, may obtain custody under limited circumstances. Where a non-parent can show ‘extraordinary circumstances’, a court may find that they have ‘standing’ to seek custody. After determining whether a non-parent has ‘standing’, the Court must still decide whether allowing such person to have custody is in the best interests of the child, using the factors above, much in the manner that parental custody is determined. Extraordinary circumstances differ from case to case, however, the law affords grandparents extra consideration in that an ‘extraordinary disruption of custody’ of at least 24 months, is cited by the statute as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ .
