Call Now 850-346-0069

Blog

Do Grandparents Have Visitation Rights in Florida?

Posted by Richard Zasada | Sep 02, 2013 | 0 Comments

Because of Florida's strong protection of privacy rights, it is very difficult for grandparents in the state to obtain legal visitation rights. This is because courts have viewed an order for grandparents' visitation as violating parental privacy.

Florida courts have consistently held that awarding visitation rights to grandparents over the objection of the parents would violate parental privacy, unless it would be harmful to the child to deny visitation. According to Florida law, grandparents have the right to petition for visitation under certain circumstances, but most of the substantive provisions of that law have been struck down as unconstitutional. Grandparents may obtain temporary custody of children in certain circumstances, such as neglect or abuse.

When grandparents have been awarded visitation rights under the laws of another state, Florida courts will usually enforce the provisions of those decisions. However, a 2012 case indicates that such decisions of other states may be invalidated under certain circumstances.

The Florida District Court of Appeals case Fazzini v. Davis concerned a father who was widowed with a three-month-old child. A Virginia court had ordered visitation rights for the maternal grandmother. When the father relocated with the child to Florida and remarried, he sought to terminate the maternal grandmother's visitation rights. The Florida court found that there was a substantial change in circumstances and terminated the grandmother's visitation rights.

About the Author

Richard Zasada

Richard D. Zasada, AttorneyPhone: (850) 346-0069 Richard has been a practicing lawyer and member of the Florida Bar since 1994. He has practiced throughout North and Central Florida. He is a member of the Florida and Tennessee Bar and a V.A. Accredited attorney. Richard spent 10 years in th...

Comments

There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.

Leave a Comment

CONTACT ME TODAY

Zasada Law is committed to answering your questions about divorce.

I offer a free consultation and I’ll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact me today to schedule an appointment.

Menu