Broome County Family Law Blog

The grandparent-grandchild relationship is one of the most important in society. After all, when grandparents spend time with grandchildren, everyone benefits. As you may suspect, though, when your child divorces his or her spouse, your relationship with your grandkids may become more difficult. 

With their wisdom and life experience, grandparents always have something to offer their grandkids. When grandchildren have to adapt to a post-divorce family, though, grandparents often play a critical role. Here are five ways you can help your grandkids during and after their parents’ divorce: 

Some divorced parents in New York complain about child support amounts set by courts. These court-ordered monetary obligations could strain a payor's budget, but legal options exist for those struggling to stay current on their child support payments. Ignoring problems like job loss or reduction in income sends noncustodial parents down the unpleasant path of child support enforcement.

Upon losing a job or suffering a similar financial setback, a payor should approach the family court as soon as possible. Petitioning the court to modify a child support order before a custodial parent alerts the state's child support enforcement agency about unpaid child support could reduce the financial consequences. When presented with documentation about income loss, a court might approve a request to lower the payments. This would reduce monetary burdens on the noncustodial parent and potentially prevent the negative consequences of letting support go unpaid for months or years.

Few things are more rewarding than raising good kids. As you age, though, you may look forward to becoming a grandparent. After all, the grandparent-grandchild relationship is often one of the most dynamic ones in society. In fact, a recent study found fewer incidents of depression in both grandparents and grandchildren who had a close relationship. If you cannot see your grandkids, you may miss out on the experience altogether. 

In New York, both biological and adoptive grandparents may petition the court for visitation rights. As you may suspect, though, asserting your grandparental rights is not necessarily easy. Still, if any of the following apply to you, petitioning the court for visitation rights may be your best option: 

After parents in New York get a divorce, they usually also have to coparent together. This can require improving some skills, such as communication, and making sure that they focus on the best interests of the child.

There are online tools that can facilitate communication. Offline, a calendar in the home of each parent helps children and their parents keep track of the custody and visitation schedule. Parents should also make an effort to enforce consistent expectations between households. This is usually less complicated than trying to agree on specific rules since this is often an area of conflict between parents.