Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Statute Permitting Grandparents to Seek Visitation Rights But Requires That Special Weight Be Given to Parents' Objections

Harrold v. Collier, 836 N.E.2d 1165 (Ohio 2005)

Historically, grandparents had no legal right to continue their relationship with their grandchildren when their own child (the grandchild's parent) died, divorced, or had his or her parental rights terminated.  This position was based on the view that custodial parents should generally be able to decide who can associate with their child.  During the 1980s and '90s, what are generally referred to as "grandparent visitation laws" were widely enacted to facilitate grandparents' ability to maintain contact with their grandchildren after a rift developed between the grandparents and a grandchild's custodial parent...

Found in DMHL Volume 25 Issue 1