Grandparents Rights in Georgia FAQ

Do grandparents have any rights of custody or visitation with their grandchildren in Georgia?
Yes, grandparents and third parties (aunts, uncles, other relatives and sometimes even non-relatives) do have rights in Georgia to seek custody or visitation with their grand children (or with the children of others for a "third party"), but there is a very strong preference for natural parents to have custody of their own children.

My grandson has lived with me for the past three years. His parents (my son and his wife) have had little or no contact with him during that time, but now, they want my grandson to live with them. Is there anything that I can do to ensure that my grandson will continue to live with me?
In a custody proceeding between the parents and a grandparent, the court will determine custody based on the best interest of the child standard. This standard requires the grandparent to show that (1) parental custody would harm the child; and (2) granting custody to the grandparent will promote the child's health, welfare and happiness. A grandparent has a more difficult legal standard to meet than does a parent when seeking custody of a child.

My grandchildren have lived with me for the past three years. Their parents (my son and his wife) have had little or no contact with the children during that time, and now, they want the children to live with them. What can I do to ensure that I will be able to spend time with my grandchildren once they are living with their parents?
Georgia law allows grandparents to seek visitation rights with their grandchildren in any case involving custody of the grandchildren, including a divorce between a child's parents. In such cases, the court may grant visitation rights to the grandparent if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that (1) the health and/or welfare of the children would be harmed unless the visitation was granted and (2) granting the visitation would be in the best interest of the children.