Today, parents aren’t the only ones raising their children. Extended family plays a critical role. In many families, grandparents are like second parents to their grandchildren.
While grandparents are playing a greater role than ever before, laws that protect grandparents’ rights are still emerging. When things change — like through divorce or the death of a parent — grandparents can find their relationships with their grandchildren in jeopardy.Just because things seem dire does not mean that you should give up hope. There are ways to fight for your relationship with your grandchild. Getting a grandparents’ rights attorney in Philadelphia on your side is the first step.
At Petrelli Previtera, LLC in Center City, we fight to protect our clients’ relationships with their grandchildren. We represent grandparents filing for primary custody of their grandchildren. We also represent grandparents seeking to legally adopt their grandchildren. But, each case is different. We also represent parents seeking to oppose these actions.When we handle a case involving grandparents and grandchildren, we often help repair the relationship among family members. While we take an aggressive approach in Pennsylvania family courts, we can help parties work collaboratively as well. If going to court is not necessary, we can protect families from stress and legal costs by mediating the relationship. Strengthening families is always our goal.
Grandparent Child Custody Rights Under Pennsylvania Law
Under Pennsylvania law, grandparents can be given custody in times when both parents are incapable or unfit to raise the child involved. There may also be other circumstances in which grandparents may be awarded primary custody.
Here are a couple of examples where our firm has successfully represented grandparents:
Adoption Case
Adoption cases can be complex for parties who are unfamiliar with the legal procedures. The importance that the courts and the state place on parental rights can make the paperwork daunting for some. We once represented a pair of grandparents who wanted to formally adopt their granddaughter, who they had been caring for over several years. When they approached our office, they were hesitant about ‘rocking the boat’ and didn’t want to take any action that could jeopardize their relationship or custody of their granddaughter. Leveraging our experience in both public and private adoptions, we were able to file a petition for adoption on their behalf. We facilitated the voluntary relinquishment of parental rights by the child’s father, filed for and argued at a hearing to involuntarily terminate the child’s mother’s parental rights, ultimately leading to the finalization of the adoption.
Grandparents’ Rights Case
The rights of grandparents are crucial to protect. In today’s families, extended relatives, most notably grandparents, often play a significant role in raising children. In Pennsylvania, certain circumstances allow grandparents to file for custodial rights, either partial or primary. We once assisted a client in her fight for primary custody of her granddaughter, following the death of her son due to illness. Despite previously being a daily part of her grandchild’s life, she was now restricted to seeing her once every couple of weeks. We presented a compelling “best interests” argument to the court, explaining why the child should reside with her and not the child’s mother. Not only did we obtain a favorable outcome that reunited our client with her granddaughter, but we also helped ease her emotional anxiety throughout the process.
Contact Our Grandparents’ Custody Lawyers
Protect your family by meeting with us at Petrelli Previtera, LLC. Consultations are confidential. Contact our firm by calling 866-465-5395.