Grandparents and Third-Party Custody/Visitation in Hawaii – Oahu

Honolulu HI Divorce Lawyers – Family Law Attorneys

When a married couple gets divorced in the state of Hawaii they are dissolving a relationship between one another, but it is important for them to recognize how significantly it is impacting others around them as well, and of course most couples do take this to heart. Clearly those who are most immediately affected are any children that the divorcing couple may have together, and Title 580 of the Hawaii Statutes is very clear about the right that both parents have to consistent and meaningful contact with their children. The state of Hawaii will make sure that parents get visitation rights as long as there is no risk of violence or abuse, but the fact is that the court does not have to be involved with visitation issues in the vast majority of cases. The people going through the divorce are well aware of the fact that the children will benefit from an ongoing relationship with both parents, and they act accordingly.

So it is very evident that everyone in the immediate family is going to go through some significant changes when a couple with children goes through a divorce proceeding, but the extended family is impacted as well. In many families, grandparents play a big role in the lives of their grandchildren, and in cases when one parent has primary custody of the child, they may not have the same access to the children that they did when the couple was still married and the family was intact. In the same manner that divorcing couples make sure that each parent has sufficient contact with the children, a majority of people also make sure that the grandparents continue to be able to spend time with children as well.

However, there some cases when this access may not be forthcoming, but the Hawaii Statutes do allow for child visitation by grandparents, siblings, and any other interested third party as long as it is seen by the court as being in the best interests of the child or children involved. Those who care about the children enough to want to spend time with them are very likely to be positive contributors to their lives, and most custodial parents recognize this and allow visitation. But if they don’t, grandparents and other third parties can ask the state to enforce their right to visitation in a court of law.

If you would like to learn more about the legalities surrounding grandparents and third-party custody/visitation, contact a Honolulu HI family attorney for a free consultation.