We Represent Grandparents Rights in Oklahoma

Video Transcribed: Once a court has granted grandparents visitation rights, can those visitation rights be terminated or modified? Hi, this is Tulsa Attorney Justin Mosteller again with the grandparents.attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I’m going to answer that question for you.

We represent a lot of grandparents here in Oklahoma, but you should know that once you get that grandparent visitation order, that may not be the end of the matter. If there has been a substantial permanent and material change in circumstances since the grandparent visitation order has been entered, then the court does have jurisdiction to modify that order.

Once an actual determination about custody has been issued by a court, that court maintains exclusive and continuing jurisdiction. It works the same way in a divorce and a paternity case as it does in a grandparent’s visitation case. That is that court that issued the decision has the jurisdiction to continue to modify it as necessary.

If you’re in a position where you’ve been granted grandparent visitation rights and something changes, then it is technically possible for the court to order a modification.

One thing that I see a lot in my practice is that if the custodial parent moves with the child, that might trigger a necessary change in schedules.

Also, if you have a grandparents rights order that is entered for a child that’s under the age of five and that child then begins to attend school, that might change the amount of visitation that is appropriate for that child with the grandparents.

So there’s a lot of different considerations. Family cases generally do not end until the child turns 18. That’s an unfortunate truth for everyone, but it is the truth. If you find yourself in an ongoing dispute about grandparents visitation, give our office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a call at 918-932-2800. Thanks.