Georgia does not automatically grant grandparents visitation rights. You may ask the court for visitation in certain family situations, but you will need evidence that losing contact would harm your grandchild and that continued contact serves the best interests of the child.

If divorce, loss, incarceration, or family conflict has disrupted your relationship with your grandchild, Rowsey & Stelter in Roswell can help you find out if grandparent visitation is an option.

What Must You Prove to Seek Grandparent Visitation?

Georgia courts allow grandparents to request visitation, but the court must approve it. Just having a close relationship with your grandchild doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a legal right to see them.

Georgia law sets a high bar. The court can grant grandparent visitation only if you can clearly show that cutting off contact would hurt your grandchild’s health or well-being, and that visits are in their best interests. The judge will look at the details of your family’s situation.

What Facts May Support a Grandparent Visitation Request?

The court will look closely at your relationship with your grandchild. Your case is stronger if:

• Your grandchild lived with you for at least six months
• You supported the child’s basic needs for at least one year
• You regularly visited the child or provided childcare
• Other circumstances show that losing contact may cause emotional or physical harm

These facts don’t guarantee the court will grant visitation, but they help show whether losing your relationship could hurt your grandchild.

When Can Filing Become More Complicated?

Cases about grandparents’ rights in Georgia often connect with divorce, custody, or situations where a parent has died, can’t care for the child, or is incarcerated. Existing court cases and orders can affect how and where you bring up your request.

Timing also affects your options. An original grandparent-visitation action generally cannot be filed more than once within a two-year period or during a year when another custody action concerning the child has been filed. The current version of Georgia’s grandparent-visitation law also addresses when an existing order may be amended or revoked.

Before you file, a Roswell family law attorney can look at any current orders, your relationship with your grandchild, and the evidence you have. Rowsey & Stelter helps both grandparents and parents with grandparents’ rights, custody, and visitation issues in Roswell, North Fulton, and the greater Atlanta area.

FAQ About Grandparents’ Rights in Georgia

Can an existing grandparent visitation order be changed?

Yes. Depending on how the order was entered, a parent, legal custodian, guardian, or certain grandparents may ask the court to amend or revoke it for good cause. Filing limits apply, and the court decides whether a change is appropriate.

Does a grandparent automatically receive visitation if a parent dies or is incarcerated?

No. The court may consider grandparent visitation. It still requires evidence that denying contact would harm the child and that visitation serves the best interests of the child. The family relationship alone does not guarantee an order.

Talk With a Roswell Family Law Attorney

If family changes have cut off contact with your grandchild, Rowsey & Stelter can review your options and help you prepare a legally grounded request. Susan Stelter focuses her practice on family law and handles contested custody matters. Call the firm’s Roswell office to schedule a free consultation about grandparents’ rights in Georgia.