Q: What are the Grandparents Rights for visitation in Ohio, my husband and I have full custody.
My Husband and I went no contact with our children’s Grandparents due to a toxic environment, and the Grandmother threatening me in my house, and we felt the decision was best for our family and kids. The Grandparents watched the kids while we worked and it wasn’t a positive time all of the time. My husband and I are still married, we both have great careers, we provide for our kids who are happy and healthy. Our one son is special needs and we go above and beyond for his care, therapy’s, special school, happiness and health. Reading the law in Ohio, it doesn’t really seem like they have rights for visitation and it seems parents have the rights to decide what “third party” has contact with our children. The Grandparents feel they have full rights to the children as they babysat while we worked, I’m questioning if they do?
A:
If you are married to the father of the children, the grandparents have no rights whatsoever. Not even to visitation. The only way they could get rights is if they seek full custody by establishing that both you and your husband are an unfit parent, an extremely high bar.
If you are NOT married to the father of the children, then the grandparents CAN get visitation rights if they meet a complicated factor test, and it is much easier to get than you think.
In your situation, you can just tell them to buzz off.
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