As families face a variety of issues today, the rights of grandparents have come to the forefront. While the rights of grandparents in New York do not override those of the parents, that does not mean they don't have legal recourse. Though parents have the right to decide who does and does not have access to their children, there are situations where the court may believe that giving grandparents visitation rights will be in the best interests of the child. As a result, grandparents do have the right to seek visitation with their grandchildren, and should consult with a Long Island grandparent's rights lawyer to explore their options. Gaining Permission to Visit Grandchildren According to the State of New York, there are numerous factors that determine how grandparents can gain permission to visit their grandchildren. Perhaps the most important aspect involves having the grandparents prove they have legal standing to request visitation rights, which can be done if one or both of the parents of the grandchildren in question have died, or if the court determines there are special circumstances that require it get involved. In either case, it's imperative that grandparents hire the services of an attorney who has extensive knowledge of these cases. For additional details about legal standing, visit Your text to link.... Automatic Visitation Rights While grandparents often wonder why they are not automatically granted visitation rights, the most common reason is that courts assume parents who are competent will always act in the child's best interests. Yet if the parent chooses to not grant visitation to the grandparents, it is the responsibility of the grandparents to prove that denying their rights to visits is detrimental to the child. While sometimes both parties can come to terms through mediation, in many cases the grandparents need to hire an attorney skilled in handling cases involving grandparents and visitation rights. By having an attorney who has dealt with these complex and emotionally-charged situations, grandparents will have a much better chance of gaining the visitation rights they seek. Going to Court If grandparents choose to go to court in order to gain visitation rights, the court will examine a number of factors before rendering a decision. For example, if not being able to see their grandparents is causing the child great emotional distress, the court may rule it will be in the child's best interests to see their grandparents. And along with this, the court may also feel as if the grandparents may be able to provide certain needs for the child. This often occurs in the event of a divorce or if one parent has died, since the grandparents may be able to help the child cope with their loss and fill a much-needed emotional void. Additional Factors In addition to divorces or the death of a parent, there can be other factors the court may look at in these cases. These can include children living in troubled homes, or children who may be living in homes where a lack of money may be resulting in a poor standard of living. However, if grandparents choose to give the child a large sum of money or provide an early inheritance in an attempt to gain visitation, the court may view this as bribery, which could greatly hinder the grandparents in their quest to see their grandchild. Hire an Attorney If you are a grandparent who wants to gain visitation rights, Hire an Attorney who has the knowledge and experience to deal with these cases. By doing so, you and your grandchild will get the results you want and need.