Minnesota Third Party Custody
In Minnesota, it is recognized that grandparents have rights and so do other family members and individuals who have an interest in providing children with a suitable living environment.
If you feel that a child is in danger due to negligent parenting or you have been denied access to your grandchild, you may be able to take legal action. Even if you are an individual who is not related to the child but the child has been in your care for a long period of time, you may also have cause for legal action. This is referred to as Minnesota third party custody.
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The Rights Of Grandparents
The Minnesota third party custody law says that grandparents have rights to their grandchildren, especially if their grandchildren are living in a less than favorable environment. Grandparents also play a valuable role in a child’s life, so it is important that grandparents are able to visit their grandchildren.
As for when grandparents may find themselves in a situation where they are not entirely sure where they stand, is when their child and their spouse divorce. Another situation is when their child passes away and they may have difficulty getting their child’s spouse to give them access to the grandchildren. Grandparents can feel as if they are left out in the cold. Here are areas where a third party custody lawyer can help grandparents:
- Grandparent visitation – When parents divorce or one parent is deceased, grandparents have a legal right to visitation. A third party custody attorney in Minnesota can help grandparents obtain visitation rights.
- Grandparent custody – If a grandparent finds that their grandchildren are endangered through abuse, negligence, or disregard for their well-being, grandparents have the right to seek custody in order to protect the best interests of the child.
Other Parties Seeking Custody
As stated before, other parties have the right to seek custody in Minnesota. When a judge reviews a case and sees that a child is better off being in the custody of someone who genuinely cares about them and will take care of them, they may award custody to that individual.
In abuse cases where a child may need to be placed into the custody of a family member, a judge will automatically turn to grandparents and other family members to take care of the child. If no grandparents are available or the grandparents do not want custody of the child, other relatives are sought out. However, non-relatives have rights as well if they want to give the child a good home.
Minnesota Divorce Custody Attorney
When needing representation in a Minnesota third party custody case, the following is provided:
- Representation of a grandparent seeking custody of grandchildren
- Representation of a grandparent when their son is involved in a paternity dispute
- Non-relative third parties seeking custody of a child
- Grandparents seeking custody while preserving parenting time and visitation rights of the mother
If you need assistance with third party custody in Minnesota, call us at 1-888-575-LAWS or fill out the form on this website for your free initial consultation. The goal is to do what is best for the child, while helping you meet your goals. We will work with psychologists and child specialists to ensure that every action is in the best interest of the child.