Grandparents rights, please advise...

[anon102]

I have name changed for this. Without wanting to go into details I have particularly toxic parents who I am now estranged from. They have not had any kind of meaningful relationship with me or my child for two years. They have now decided they want access. I do not want her to be around these people for many many reasons. Do they have any legal rights at all?

Also she is 3.

So far as I know, they have zero rights.

Thanks Zia. I was hoping that was the case. They are very rich and have said basically they can get the best lawyers etc etc and it made me quite worried but I guess the law is the law no matter how rich you are.

As I understand it, Grandparents have no legal rights.
I have abusive In-laws who we last saw at DHs funeral 4 years ago where they were kicking off very loudly. Throughout the service.
MIL has sought legal advice and the advice of our childrens disability SW. There is no way she will get contact with my children. I hope you are able to find a way forward that brings you and your child peace.

They can ask the court for permission to apply for a contact order. Doesn't mean to say they will get contact. Each case is different.

Thank you for your answers. I hope they will get bored and not go down that route. They didn't bother to call or try to see DD for an entire year at one point so they will have a hard time proving anything is in her best interest to a judge.

To get permission to apply for a contact order, they'd have to show that they have a meaningful relationship with the child, and that it is in the child's best interests to see them.

Start keeping records of everything they say to you. If they're bullying you and saying they'll get what they want regardless of what you want because they're richer than you, that's a good first step to showing that they don't actually have your child's best interests at heart!

Start keeping records of everything they say to you.

Good advice. The fact that they have had no relationship whatsoever with your DD for two years will make it a difficult case for them to pursue anyway.

I will definately do that. They are not contacting me directly as I have refused to have further contact with them, but third hand through family so there are witnesses to their comments as well.

The granting of leave to apply will not necessarily mean that they have a strong case. I disagree with the suggestion that they would have to show a meaningful relationship already exists. On the contrary - grandparents often apply when there is no meaningful relationship.

"When considering whether to give you permission to see your grandchild the court will look at:

-the details of your proposals
-your connection with the child
-any risk of disrupting the child?s life
-the wishes and feelings of the child?s parents"

from here:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Lookingafterchildrenifyoudivorceorseparate/Lookingafterchildrenifyourrelationshipends/DG_192848