Family Law Blog

Study Finds Increasing Number of Children in U.S. Raised by Grandparents

By Denver Divorce Lawyer on August 8, 2011

According to a study conducted in 2010 by the Pew Research Center, approximately one in 10 children in the United States resides with a grandparent. That number has steadily increased over the past 10 years, and then sharply increased between 2007 and 2008 during the start of the economic downturn. Researchers in the study analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The study also found that about 41 percent of those children living with a grandparent (or grandparents) are also being primarily raised by that grandparent. In total, it is estimated that about 2.9 million children in the U.S. are being raised by one or both grandparents. Approximately half of these children also live with a single parent, while for about 43 percent of these children, there is no parent in the household. Around eight percent have both parents in the household, in addition to the caregiver grandparent.

Correspondingly, just as the number of children being cared for by their grandparents has risen, so too has the number of grandparents that serve as primary caregivers to their grandchildren. It is estimated that about 2.6 million grandparents care for a grandchild.

At Kaplan Law, our grandparents rights lawyers in Denver can help you through the legal process if you are seeking visitation rights or custody of a grandchild. To find out how our attorneys can provide the legal assistance you need, call our law offices at 1-877-527-5260 today.

When Can Grandparents Seek Visitation in Colorado?

By Denver Divorce Lawyer on August 5, 2011

Like many states in the U.S., Colorado law gives grandparents the opportunity to ask the court for visitation time with or custody of a grandchild in certain situations. Unfortunately, not every grandparent qualifies to seek visitation or custody. Rather, in order to ask the court for visitation or custody of grandchildren, grandparents must meet the following minimum requirements.

A grandparent may only petition the court for visitation if the child’s parents are divorced, legally separated, or had their marriage annulled; if someone other than the child’s parents has custody of the child; or if the parent who is the child of the grandparents dies. Grandparents may not seek visitation, however, if the child has been adopted by another couple.

Grandparents can provide a strong link to a child’s natural parents and extended family, as well as being a source of love and support for a child. If you are considering seeking visitation or custody of a grandchild, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced grandparents’ rights attorneys in Denver at Kaplan Law, LLC. For a free consultation, call us today at 1-877-527-5260.

Colorado Law Gives Grandparents Custody and Visitation Rights in Some Cases

By Denver Divorce Lawyer on June 28, 2011

When a child’s parents divorce, both parents have legal rights to request custody and/or to receive visitation or “parenting time” with their child. In many families, however, children have bonds with their grandparents that are as important or more important as those they have with their parents. Colorado law protects the grandparent-child relationship by providing for visitation and custody for grandparents.

Two Colorado laws cover grandparent visitation: the Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act, or UDMA, and the Children’s Code. Under the UDMA, grandparents can request custody of a child who is not currently in the care of either parent. They can also request custody of a child they have been raising for at least six months. The court will hold a hearing to determine whether the child should stay in the grandparent’s custody.

The Children’s Code allows grandparents to request visitation with a grandchild during or after the parents’ divorce proceedings. Grandparents may even request visitation if the child is in the custody of someone other than a parent or if one or both of the parents have died. However, a request for visitation can only be made once every two years.

Both the UDMA and the Children’s Code require the court to consider the child’s best interests above all else. If you’re seeking visitation or custody of a grandchild, the experienced Colorado grandparents rights attorneys at Kaplan Law can help. To learn more, call Kaplan Law today at 303-458-5500.