The Short Answer Is No, However, They Have Options.
Video Transcribed: Do grandparents have a say in the medical treatment of their grandchildren? Hi, I’m Oklahoma Grandparents rights attorney Justin Mosteller with the Wirth Law Office here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I’m going to answer that question for you today. The short answer is no, they do not. Under Oklahoma law, the parents have total control over decisions relating to the health and welfare of their children unless they’ve been proven unfit or unavailable.
Now, if a grandparent finds that the parents of the children are not acting in the best interest of the child in a medical situation, then they may consider filing a guardianship to establish temporary custody of the grandchild so that they can make healthcare decisions that are in line with the child’s best interest. If you’re in that situation, then you should probably contact an attorney who could walk you through the process of how to do that.
In those situations, you’d have to show that the parent is either unfit or unavailable to make that critical medical decision, or that the decision they’re making is so contrary to the best interest of the child, that the court could be justified in stepping in. If you are in that situation, give our office a call, we can be reached at (918) 932-2800.