In some states, are grandparents allowed to file a petition for visitation rights without the involvement of the custodial parent?

In California, grandparents are not allowed to file a petition for visitation rights without the involvement of the custodial parent. However, California Family Code Section 3103 does allow grandparents to file a petition for visitation rights without the involvement of the custodial parent if any of the following are true: (1) either or both of the child’s parents are deceased; (2) the child’s parents have been separated for at least 6 months; or (3) the child’s parents have been divorced. In these situations, the court can grant reasonable visitation unless it finds that visitation would not be in the best interests of the child. The California courts also recognize that it is typically in a child’s best interests to have a close and ongoing relationship with both grandparents. Thus, if the custodial parent denies the grandparents visitation rights, the grandparents may still file a petition for visitation rights with the court. In these cases, the court will review the evidence and determine whether or not visitation would be in the best interests of the child. The court may also order mediation or other measures to try to resolve the issue of visitation rights. Overall, in California, grandparents may be able to file a petition for visitation rights without the involvement of the custodial parent depending on the circumstances. It is important to note, however, that visitation rights are always at the discretion of the court and that whether or not visitation is in the best interests of the child is always the court’s guiding principle.

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In some states, are grandparents allowed to file a petition for visitation rights without the involvement of the custodial parent?

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