ENSURING THAT NO ONE IS OVERLOOKED
Many grandparents strive to have a relationship with their grandchildren but are constantly thwarted by the custodial parent who always claims that there is a soccer game or scout meeting or church lock-in or something else that interferes with the scheduled visitation period. Even worse, some parents (both mothers and fathers) have been known to ransom their children, threatening to withhold a child from the other parent or a grandparent until a child support check is received, for example. Utah law makes the best interests of the child the paramount concern in custody and visitation matters. Spending time with family is nearly always in the child’s best interests.
My name is Melvin A. Cook and I am a Salt Lake City grandparents’ rights attorney. I understand how a noncustodial parent or grandparent eagerly anticipates visitation times, and how deflating and frustrating it is when the appointed hour comes and goes. At the Law Office of Mel A. Cook, I believe that both parents, and the grandparents, should spend as much time as possible with young children to help them begin their lives on the right foot.
CAN A GRANDPARENT OBTAIN LEGAL VISITATION RIGHTS IN UTAH?
Utah, like most states, employs a “rebuttable presumption” that a parent’s decision regarding grandparent visitation is in the child’s best interests. According to 30-5-2 of the Utah Code, you may still obtain visitation rights if you can rebut that presumption. An experienced Salt Lake City family law attorney can help you prove the following:
- You are a fit and proper person to have visitation with your grandchild.
- Visitation with your grandchild has been denied or unreasonably limited.
- The parent is unfit or incompetent.
- You have acted as your grandchild’s custodian or caregiver or otherwise had a substantial relationship with your grandchild, and the loss or cessation of that relationship is likely to cause harm to your grandchild.
- Your child, who is a parent of your grandchild, has died or become a noncustodial parent through divorce or legal separation.
- Your child, who is a parent of your grandchild, has been missing for an extended period of time.
- Visitation is in the best interests of the grandchild.
Most grandparents do not properly understand their rights when it comes to the visitation of their grandchildren. It is important to seek representation from a Salt Lake City grandparents’ rights attorney with a track record of educating each client on the latest developments in Utah child custody law. Because each situation is different, I can provide the guidance and advocacy needed to properly navigate through the legal process.
CHOOSE A SALT LAKE CITY GRANDPARENTS’ RIGHTS ATTORNEY WITH MORE THAN 13 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE
Just because you do not see your child or grandchild every day, does not mean that you can never see them again. I am available every weekday to discuss your case. Do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Mel A. Cook online or to call me at 801-746-5075 for a free initial consultation with a Salt Lake City Grandparents’ Rights Lawyer. Hablo Español.
801-746-5075