In some families, grandparents are not simply supporting familial figures; they are the main stabilizers, caregivers, anchors, or the only emotionally safe adults a child consistently interacts with.
What We Do
Our firm represents grandparents and parents in visitation matters involving:
- Estrangement due to coercive control
- Parental substance abuse or instability
- The death or unavailability of one parent
- Psychologically unsafe home environments
- Situations where grandparents have served as primary or secondary caregivers
Grandparent visitation cases require a sophisticated, trauma-aware understanding of family systems and an ability to articulate the child’s psychological needs in court. At the Law Office of Darshann M. Wienick, our team has extensive experience navigating the sensitive and often emotionally complex issues surrounding grandparents’ rights. Our staff has represented both grandparents seeking meaningful access to a child and children whose safety and well-being are at the center of the dispute. This dual perspective allows us to understand the full family system and advocate with clarity and compassion.These cases are closely scrutinized by the court and depend on evidence, family history, and the child’s existing emotional bonds.
As a child-centered practice, we represent the protective party, who is prioritizing the child’s emotional safety, stability, and developmental needs. Whether the concern involves estrangement, safety-based boundaries, or maintaining a healthy connection with extended family, we understand that every family dynamic is unique and approach every case with a trauma-informed lens.
We help families craft legally sound, psychologically informed solutions that respect a child’s relationships while protecting their wellbeing. When children are involved, the stakes are always high. Our expertise allows the court to receive a clear, grounded understanding of what arrangement truly serves the child’s best interest.
We craft arguments that go far beyond “quality time” and instead highlight:
- The child’s attachment patterns
- The regulation and safety grandparents provide
- The emotional cost of severing stable generational connections
- The trauma impact when a child loses a primary support figure
Courts Closely Scrutinize Grandparent Visitation and Custody Requests
Grandparents may need support when:
A parent is preventing healthy contact
There are concerns about neglect, instability, or substance use
The child used to have a strong bond, but contact suddenly stopped
A parent passes away or becomes unavailable
The family is in high conflict, and the child is caught in the middle
Not every request for contact is safe, and not every restriction is harmful. Our role is to help courts distinguish between protective boundaries and unnecessary barriers, always centering the child’s well-being.
Who We’re Best Able to Help
Grandparents who have an established bond with the child and can document the relationship
Situations involving estrangement tied to coercive control, instability, or safety concerns
Families where the child has lost access to a stabilizing caregiver or emotionally safe adult
Clients who value discretion, preparation, and child-centered advocacy over escalation
Where family relationships are complex, we bring clarity.
Where children need emotional protection, we bring strength.
No. California law does not guarantee visitation, the court must balance the child’s best interest against parental autonomy.
When the child has an established bond and cutting off that relationship would be harmful, or when a parent is unavailable or unable to safely care for the child.
Parents often control whether grandparents have contact. However, in limited circumstances, a court may order visitation when the law allows it and the evidence shows it would be in the child’s best interests.