GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department determined the paternal grandparents had automatic standing to seek visitation upon father’s death. The court further determined visitation was in the best interests of the children, despite the animosity of mother (not caused by the grandparents):
When a grandparent seeks visitation pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 72(1), the court must make a two-part inquiry … . First, it must find that the grandparent has standing, based on the death of a parent or equitable circumstances … . “Where either parent of the grandchild has died, the grandparents have an absolute right to standing” … . Once the court concludes that the grandparent has established standing to petition for visitation, the court must then determine if visitation is in the best interests of the child … . …
Animosity alone is insufficient to deny visitation … .Here, the estrangement between the paternal grandparents and the children resulted from the animosity between the mother and the paternal grandparents, and the record supported the forensic evaluator’s determination that the paternal grandparents’ conduct was not the cause of the animosity … . Matter of Mastronardi v Milano-Granito, 2018 NY Slip Op 01923, Second Dept 3-21-18
FAMILY LAW (GRANDPARENTS, VISITATION, GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT))/VISITATION (FAMILY LAW, GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT))/GRANDPARENTS (FAMILY LAW, VISITATION, GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT))/DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW (VISITATION, GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT))/STANDING (FAMILY LAW, VISITATION, GRANDPARENTS HAD AUTOMATIC STANDING TO SEEK VISITATION UPON DEATH OF FATHER, VISITATION WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN DESPITE THE ANIMOSITY OF MOTHER (SECOND DEPT))