Advocating for Arizona grandparents

Many Arizona children are living with their grandparents or other family members for a variety of reasons. Arizona family courts typically respect the rights of grandparents to have ongoing relationships with their grandchildren. However, in some cases it is necessary for grandparents to seek visitation or custody through the courts because they have been denied access to their grandchildren.

You may be a grandparent, stepparent, aunt, uncle or other relative of a child whom you have cared for following the death of one of their parents or following their parents’ divorce. Your son or daughter may have died or divorced a spouse who received sole custody of your grandchild, causing you to have concerns about your ongoing relationship with your grandchild. You may wish to have an ongoing relationship with a stepchild even after your divorce from their biological parent.

Relatives of a child who acted as a guardian in place of the child’s biological parents may have rights to custody or visitation with the child should the biological parents reclaim custody. Grandparents who have good relationships with their grandchildren and who are willing to work with the child’s custodial parent may be eligible to seek visitation. Arizona family court judges are often willing to encourage positive relationships with extended family members or with stepparents following a divorce or the death of a parent.

Our legal team has years of experience advocating for grandparents and other relatives of children in custody and visitation matters, adoption proceedings and other complex issues. We believe that children have rights to quality relationships with their grandparents, stepparents and other family members even after a change in family dynamics. For more information on these matters, you are invited to visit our page on grandparent rights.