The Effect of Divorce to Grandparents
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Divorce is more than a couple’s separation.It is a physical, psychological, and emotional battle of the whole family. Most of the time, the child is considered as the foremost victim of the conflict, experiencing the pain and trauma of the whole process. It is definitely true, but what people fail to consider is the effect of the divorce to the other members of the family – particularly to the grandparents. A New Role in the Family Gone are the days when children see their
grandparents
occasionally.
Now,
grandparents are more involved in the affairs of the family, especially with raising the kids. Theyareconsidered the household’s voice of reason, source of wisdom, financial safety net, historian, and caretakers,among other things. Grandparent-grandchildren ties today are closer and more significant than before. The Impact of Divorce Taking care of the grandkids is every grandparent’s fulfilment. Therefore, when a big blow like divorce happens, a grandparent shares the biggest emotional burden. Every grandfather and grandmotherwonders whenwill the kidsvisitagain. In this poignant part of the children’s life, a grandparent will wantto look after them and make sure the divorce will not take the kids into the wrong path. Unfortunately, divorce proceedings take grandparents out of the picture. Grandparents’ Rights In cases of divorce, a grandparent may seek visitation rights to their grandchildren, or even custody. Courts in New York have strict guidelines in issuing a grandparent visiting rights over their grandchildren. More importantly, a grandparent must have legal standing to obtain visitation rights. Grandparents may consider a legal consultation to ensure their rights over their grandchildren.
Other Options There are instances when the case does not needany court proceeding. Grandparents may choose to negotiate with the parent to continue their support, avoiding severed tieswith their grandchildren. Divorce does not need to be difficult for everyone in the family. There are options the members can work out the options to lessen the impact of the separation. In this situation, the presence of grandparents can help ease children’s trauma and should not be taken for granted.
RESOURCES: http://www.divorceattorneyinlongisland.com/ http://www.parentingweekly.com/grandparents/role_grandparents.htm http://www.nyc.gov/html/caregiver/grandparenting_2g.html