Oregon Family Law:
Grandparents' Rights

A few years ago, the United States Supreme Court changed the law in many states regarding grandparent rights. The case dealt with a statute in Washington, our neighbor to the north. Because of the Supreme Court decision, Oregon law changed. Now, generally, grandparents have the right to see their grandchildren if they are denied access and if it can be demonstrated that the legal parents do not act in the child's best interests.

The same rules that apply to grandparents apply to others who have developed close relationships with minor children. In the past year, I helped an unrelated family obtain custody of a young girl because one parent consented and the other parent was determined to not have sufficient skill to be an effective parent. I also helped a grandmother and grandfather obtain custody of their grandchild.