Grandparent Rights Attorney in South Carolina
In South Carolina, grandparents may have more visitation rights than they are suspect. On June 9, 2014, the law governing grandparents’ visitation rights changed, making it easier for grandparents to obtain visitation orders. If you are seeking visitation with your grandchild, South Carolina grandparent rights attorney J. Darrell Beckham can help.
Attorney Beckham represents grandparents in Newberry County, Richland County, Lexington County, the City of Columbia and throughout South Carolina. Please, do not hesitate to contact us and schedule your free phone or in-office consultation.
Grandparent Visitation Orders
Grandparents are not allowed to seek visitation orders when the grandchild’s parents are living together, but they can seek orders when the parents are divorced or living separately or if one or both parents are deceased. The court can award grandparent visitation if:
- The parents or guardians of the child are depriving the grandparent unreasonably of visiting with the child
- The grandparent relationship with the child was similar to a parent/child relationship
- Awarding visitation would not interfere with the parent/child relationship
- The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the parents or guardians are unfit or a compelling circumstance exists to override the decision of the parents or guardian.
It is no longer necessary to prove that the relationship between the grandparent and child is similar to a parent/child relationship. Nor is it necessary to prove that the parents are unfit.
Help for Grandparents
Grandparents seeking visitation rights still face substantial legal hurdles. In general, parents have the right to make decisions regarding who can and cannot see their children and their decisions are presumed to be in the child’s best interests. But, under the right circumstances, an experienced grandparent rights attorney can help you obtain court-ordered visitation rights so that you can maintain a relationship with your grandchild and your grandchild will not be denied a relationship with you.
In cases where one parent is deceased, this can be the only way for a child to maintain a connection with the deceased parent’s family.
To learn more about your rights as a grandparent in South Carolina, please call the Law Office of J. Darrell Beckham, LLC, at 800-515-7615 or contact us online right away to schedule your free consultation. We offer financing upon approval. Discounts are available for veterans, active military and military spouses. We also accept Visa, Discover and MasterCard.