Grandmother Had Standing to Request Visitation/Visitation Properly Granted

The Third Department affirmed Family Court’s determination that grandmother had standing to petition for visitation with the child (Dakota) and that such visitation was in the best interests of the child. With respect to the standing criteria, the Third Department wrote:

Family Court correctly determined that petitioner established standing to petition for visitation with Dakota. When a child’s parents are living, a grandparent who seeks visitation with his or her grandchild must establish that “conditions exist which equity would see fit to intervene” (Domestic Relations Law § 72 [1]) in order to obtain standing … . The grandparent “must establish a sufficient existing relationship with [his or her] grandchild, or in cases where that has been frustrated by the parents, a sufficient effort to establish one, so that the court perceives it as one deserving the court’s intervention” … .  In the latter situation, the grandparent’s “effort is measured against what [he or she] could reasonably have done under the circumstances”… . Matter of Rubel v Wilson, 511985, 3rd Dept 11-21-13