For Grandparents

Grandparents and extended family members play an important role in family life. Your support and guidance is valuable.

Family Separation

Grandparents can be a crucial support to both grandchildren and adult children at times of separation or divorce.
Children's needs and best interests are the first consideration in any separation or family breakdown. When families are developing parenting arrangements after separation, or where family dispute resolution may be needed, the importance to children of maintaining a relationship with other members of their extended family can also be taken into consideration.

When a family needs to go to court for parenting orders, family law has been amended to allow courts to consider the relationship children have with their grandparents and other members of their extended family and to consult with them to determine what is in a child's best interests.

Courts can take into account:

the nature of the relationship between a child and a grandparent
the likely effect that separation from a grandparent will have on a child, and
the capacity of a grandparent to provide for the needs of a child.

Parents and courts are encouraged to make provision for a child to continue a relationship with grandparents, by ensuring that appropriate time is built into the parenting plan or order.

To find out more, click on the links below:

For Grandparents Parenting Grandchildren

A particularly complex, and life changing, issue for grandparents is choosing to, or having to, take over the care of their grandchildren.

Click on the links below for information and services which may help:

For more assistance call Family Relationships Advice Line on 1800 050 321 or search Family Relationships Online.