Family & Safety
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Getting visitation rights as a grandparent or step parent Guide
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Visitation is when a person who is not the parent of a child spends time with that child. Visitation used to include time spent by a parent with a child, but that is now called parenting time.
In general, it is up to the parents of a child to decide who can spend time with that child. But sometimes a non-parent can get a court order to force the parents to let them spend time with a child if the child is at least one year old.
Only the following people can get a court order for visitation with a child:
- Grandparent
- Great-grandparent
- Brother or Sister
- Step-parents (have the same visitation rights no matter if marriage or civil union)
Learn more about What a non-parent has to prove to get visitation with a child.
Last full review by a subject matter expert
January 18, 2017
Last revised by staff
May 24, 2020
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