Best Business Attorneys in White Plains, NY

The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is a special bond, difficult to replicate or find anyplace else. New York law understands this relationship and provides grandparents with legal options that make sure that the best interest of their grandchild is being achieved. The dedicated lawyers at Westchester Matrimonial have the knowledge and experience necessary to help grandparents understand their rights and options when it comes to maintaining or strengthening that special bond with their grandchild. Grandparents have no fundamental right to their grandchildren, but the New York Domestic Law §72 provides a path for grandparents to be heard by the courts if the grandparent/grandchild relationship is being interfered with or needs to be modified. This is a special proceeding where grandparents can ask the court for either visitation rights or custody rights. The first step, however, is to establish a right to be heard. To establish a right to be heard by the court, grandparents’ must show the court one, or more, of these specific criteria exist: • Both the grandparents and the child(ren) are residing in New York State; and • Either one or both parents are deceased; OR • There are extraordinary circumstances that requires the court to intervene. While every case is different, caselaw has interpreted “extraordinary circumstances” to be specific occurrences. These specific occurrences include: • Voluntary prolonged grandparent custody of the grandchild(re...