How do you make sure grandparents stay out of the picture?
From Nolo.com’s article on Grandparent Rights. The most important line is the last one: “courts have made contradictory rulings.” That’s why it’s essential to get your own lawyer: “Child Visitation Laws All 50 states currently have some type of “grandparent visitation” statute through which grandparents and sometimes others (foster parents and stepparents, for example) can ask a court to grant them the legal right to maintain their relationships with loved children. But state laws vary greatly when it comes to the crucial details, such as who can visit and under what circumstances. Approximately 20 states have “restrictive” visitation statutes, meaning that generally only grandparents can get a court order for visitation — and only if the child’s parents are divorcing or if one or both parents have died. However, most states have more permissive
I think the real possibility might be that they would gain custody if you died, were incapacitated or were found unfit. I’d make sure my affairs were in order. Think: Find good, trustworthy godparents and create an airtight will, as well as, a living will. At the very least, it might provide some closure for this particular worry.
You’re welcome! I don’t really care for my parents (although they’re not as bad as anon’s sounds) and one of the first things I’ll do when/if I have kids is contact a family law attorney to make sure everything is in order so that they could never get custody or force visitation. Here’s some more info from Nolo about how to find a lawyer.
