Law Offices of Steven P. Monaghan
Contact Us Today! 732.876.9326

Do You Want To Establish

Grandparents’ Rights?

Grandparent’s play a significant role in the lives and upbringing of their grandchildren. Our family lawyer is passionate about protecting that role.

Contact Us Today

Grandparents’ Rights Attorney

Helping Grandparents Maintain Family Ties: (732) 876-9326

At Law Offices of Steven P. Monaghan, we believe that children are raised best when they are surrounded by their family members. Proper development of self-esteem, stability and identity are deeply interconnected with cooperative community ties within the family. If you are a grandparent seeking to establish visitation rights with your grandchild, contact our family law attorney. We would be proud to offer you the compassionate legal support and highly effective guidance that you require in order to achieve your goals. Although your rights are more vulnerable, you do have limited visitation rights to your grandchild under law. However, if the parents of your grandchild are living and married, you do not have the right to see your grandchild. A parent’s decision to keep his or her child away from a grandparent is generally validated by law. If the parents are divorced, the child is in non-parent custody, the parents are separated, or one of the parents has died, you have the right to remain in contact with your grandchild. Let us help you take advantage of your rights!

When Can I Request Visitation Or Custody?

It is important to understand that the court will only grant visitation rights to a grandparent if he or she had a prior bond with the grandchild. State court understands that the continuation of this bond is within the best interests of the child.

  • When A Parent Passed Away
  • When A Stepparent Has Adopted The Grandchild
  • When The Grandchild Is No Longer Living With Either Parent
  • When One Parent Has Been Sent To Jail, Prison Or Institutionalized
  • When The Parents Are Not Married To One Another
  • When A Divorce Or Other Proceeding Is Pending
  • When One Of The Parents Has Not Been Located For One Month
  • When The Parents Are Married But Separated On An Indefinite Basis
  • When One Of The Parents Applies With The Grandparents

Frequently Asked Questions

We Have The Answers That You Need

  • Questions

  • When Can I Sue For Visitation Rights?

    Answer

    You are entitled to sue for visitation rights under the following circumstances: the parents of your grandchild no longer live together, one of the parents of your grandchild has been missing for more than 30 days, your grandchild does not want to live with his or her biological parents, the step-parent of your grandchild has adopted him or her.

  • Can Court Ordered Visitation Be Modified Or Terminated?

    Answer

    Yes, a court ordered grandparent visitation order can be modified or terminated. However, the party seeking to terminate or modify the visitation order must file a Motion to Modify in District Court. In addition, if the original grandparent visitation agreement was pursuant to an Agreed Visitation Order, the party seeking to modify or terminate the agreements will be required to prove the change of circumstances. In addition, the party seeking to modify or terminate must show that this action is within the best interests of the child.

  • As A Grandparent, Can I Be The Legal Guardian?

    Answer

    A grandparent can be the legal guardian of his or her grandchild. In fact, guardianship may be necessary for a number of reasons including the following: the parent’s health, the parent’s military duty (requiring him or her to leave the country) or parental unfitness. Guardianship can be granted with our without the agreement of the parent(s). If granted despite the objection of the parent(s), the court determined it would be within the best interest of the child to grant guardianship to the child’s grandparent(s).

  • Steven P. Monaghan

    Board-Certified Matrimonial Law Expert

    Steven P. Monaghan, a highly respected divorce lawyers, focuses his practice exclusively in this area, including handling litigation, collaborative matters, and mediation, and has been Certified by the New Jersey Supreme in Matrimonial Law since 2006. This certification is awarded only to attorneys who have demonstrated their skill and achievement in matrimonial law.

    With 23 years of experience, Mr. Monaghan has a proven dedication to the law and helping families. He has served on the Monmouth County Family Law Committee and has also been a private arbitrator for the Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel Program for 16 years and is a qualified mediator participating in the Mediation Program for Economic Aspects of Family Law since the program began. He has been appointed as Guardian Ad Litem for children of families going through litigation and has been trusted to resolve hundreds of high conflict cases before litigation.

  • Kristin S. Pallonetti

    Attorney

    Kristin S. Pallonetti, Esq. is one of the top family law attorneys in the area. In 2014 she was named one of the Top Young Attorneys in New Jersey by Super Lawyers Rising Stars. She was again named by Super Lawyers as a New Jersey Rising Star in 2015.

    She has an active family law trial practice, and she has tried numerous cases, including cases that involve domestic violence, alimony cohabitation, child support, parenting time, custody, and enforcement of support and custody orders. Before embarking on her private practice, Ms. Pallonetti completed a judicial law clerkship with the Honorable Eugene A. Iadanza, A.J.S.C., former presiding Judge of Monmouth and Mercer Counties, where her focus as a clerk was in the area of family and juvenile law. She also served as a Court Mediator for the Special Civil Division under the supervision of the Honorable Lisa P. Thorton, JA.J.S.C. where she mediated countless cases.

    Ms. Pallonetti's prior legal experience also included a clerkship at the New Haven County Court where she aided victims of domestic violence in file temporary restraining orders. She also served in clerkship with the firm Campbell, Foley, Lee, Murphy & Cernigliaro in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and a clerkship with the Law Offices of Erskine D. McIntosh in Hamden, Connecticut.

    Ms. Pallonetti graduated Cum Laude from Quinnipiac University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and a minor in English in 2003. She received her Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2008 where she was the Executive VP of the Mock Trial Honor Society, recipient of the Sappern Fellowship, Admissions Ambassador for the law school and a member in both the Family Law and Constitutional Law Societies.

  • Jessica L. Berg

    Attorney

    Divorce Attorney Jessica L. Berg practices exclusively in matrimonial law at the Law Office of Steven P. Monaghan, LLC. Since graduating Widener University School of Law, where she received recognition for her volunteer and pro bono work, she gained valuable experience working at a firm that solely handled family law matters, as well as experience with the non-profit group, the Community Health Law Project, that assists disabled individuals with matrimonial and civil law issues. Ms. Berg also worked with the Delaware Civil Clinic and was certified by the Supreme Court of Delaware to handle and litigate cases involving obtaining protection or restraining orders for those harmed by domestic violence and abuse.

Why Choose Our Firm?

Clients First. Quality Always.

  • 30+ Years of Combined Experience

  • Thousands of Cases Handled

  • Exclusively Practicing Family Law

  • Certified by the Supreme Court of NJ

  • Complimentary, In-Person Consultations

Send Us a Message

We Protect The Bonds Of Extended Family

Contact Us Today For A Confidential Legal Consultation

    • Please enter your name.
    • This isn't a valid email address.
      Please enter your email address.
    • This isn't a valid phone number.
      Please enter your phone number.
      You entered an invalid number.
    • Please select an option.
    • Please enter a message.