Four in ten grandparents lose contact with their grandchildren after the parents split up, new research has found. Divorce solicitors are well used to being asked about grandparents rights.
Of 211 grandparents questioned on behalf of Families Need Fathers and the Grandparents' Association, 55 per cent said that, prior to the parents separating, they were directly involved in their grandchildren's care. However, two-thirds said that they were prevented from caring for their grandchildren following a family breakdown.
MPs including Stuart Jackson, shadow minister for Communities and Local Government, and Susan Kramer, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston met with members of the group at the launch of the report.
Television presenter Gloria Hunniford introduced the report, Beyond the Nuclear: Including the Wider Family.
Under the Children Act 1989, any adult who has lived as part of a family for three years has an automatic right to apply for contact with the children, including step-parents. However, the right does not extend to grandparents, who have to ask a court for permission before they can apply for contact.!!
Andrew Woolley
Divorce Solicitor