Grandparents Rights

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At Wake Smith Solicitors, we understand how special the bond between a grandparent and grandchild can be. When family relationships break down, being prevented from seeing your grandchildren can be deeply upsetting. Our family law solicitors have helped many grandparents re-establish and protect contact with their grandchildren through sensitive, practical legal support.

As part of our wider Family and Divorce Law services, we can advise you on your options and help you take the right steps to maintain your relationship with your grandchildren.

Understanding Grandparents’ Rights

Grandparents do not have an automatic legal right to see their grandchildren. However, the court recognises the vital role grandparents often play in a child’s life and will always prioritise the welfare of the child when making decisions.

If maintaining a relationship with a grandparent is considered to be in the child’s best interests, the court can make an order to allow you to spend time together.

Applying for Contact as a Grandparent

Before applying to court, it’s often best to try to reach an agreement through communication or family mediation. Our solicitors can support you in these discussions to help avoid conflict and preserve family relationships.

If this isn’t possible, the court will consider several factors, including:

The nature of your relationship with your grandchildren
The level of contact you previously enjoyed (such as regular childcare, holidays, or weekend visits)
Whether ongoing contact would benefit the children’s wellbeing

Having a positive, consistent history of involvement can strengthen your application and demonstrate the importance of your relationship.

Supporting Families with Care and Sensitivity

Our Sheffield based family law team handles these matters with understanding and discretion. We focus on achieving a solution that keeps the children’s needs at the centre while helping families move forward in a constructive way.