Grandparents Rights in Ohio

[groveport]

My Husband and I practically raised our 2 year old grandaughter. Her mother was 20 at the time of her birth and living with the father. Things happened casued by her and she ended up living with us. we supported them until my daughter got a job and was able to move out on her own. The father and I babysat everyday he worked nights and I work days and I would pick her up on my way home until her mom came and got her. Now my daughter has meant a intellegent guy who has shattered all of our lives. she moved in with him and they are getting married. Because we won't give her $15.000 dollars for her wedding we are not able to see the baby. She is in day care and is sick constantly and her mother will not take her to the dr. I had to leave work early to go get her from daycare and take her. Her dad also does this if need be. The baby is also being witheld from the father because this new guy salls all the shots. The father has a court date for March 9,2000 but I want to know what we have to do to get visitation rights. They say we can see her under his terms. Needless to say, we did not see her Thanksgiving or now they are going to His parents out of state and the father nor us get to see her for the christmas holiday. I am on christmas break and offered to keep her for a few days and was told no, I would break her routine. The baby was tossed around so much in the begining that she feels only security here with us. There is absolutely no abuse going on. My daughter I am sad to say, loves not having to pay bills and living high. Now our grandaughter calls this new guy daddy and her dad by his name. When I do get to see her which I have not for so long now. She ran into my arms and held on to me for dear life. I cant tell you how much this child has gone through and we have been through it all with her. What can we do to get to see her at least at a set time. I ask them to sign a paper to the affect that we could have her on a stated day but they refused. Now do we have to pay big legal fees for an attorney or can we go to someone else. I have many many bills I am paying where I bought the baby everything she had ever owned or needed including medicine and dr. bills. I don't care about what I spent or why. It is just hard to get together attorney fees when we are trying to get ready for my husbands retirement and we are paying college loans for our two other girls. all I want is to see my grandbaby. Our hearts have been ripped out and I cannot do anything but cry. I even went on half day at school to keep her from going into daycare when she was born to help them. But sadly my daughter does not see what she has done to us. We have nothing to look forward to. That baby was our life. She lived here and was with me day in and day out even weeks at a time while my daughter went off to california to visit this new guy until he moved back home. Now he has everyone mad at everyone but my daughter told her sisters,oh well she has a new set of grandparents and a new daddy now.They are not even married yet. Do we have any rights at all? Please can someone tell me what to do? My children had everything growing up and I sheltered this daughter the most and she was a wonderful baby. I cannot believe she can do this to me but she has and her father who is basically the peace keeper has reached his limit. If we have to mortgage or borrow the money we will to get to see her. I don't mean an everyday thing just see her. Please can someone direct us in the right direction> I feel horrible about taking my daughter to court but I will and She will not look like the wonderful person this new guy and his family think. I do not want to do this. I have many many presents for her setting here and we will not see her the new guys family is in we are out all because we won't or can't pay that kind of money for a wedding. I am DESPERATE.
Thank you anyone
Groveport

 

[usmcfamily]

The Supreme Court recently dealt grandparet's visitation rights a deathblow - ruling that legally the only people with rights to access of the children are the bio-parent's (your daughter and the father). From reading your post the best option for you at this point seems to be supporting the father as much as you can in his effort to obtain/enforce visitation with the child on his part as he seems more than likely to share his time with you. (See there is a way around everything).
It is sad that your daughter is choosing you to exclude you from the child's life, but legally there is very little you can do about it. The courts have taken a BIG step back from dictating who a parent must allow to have contact with their children ( i know this may seem unfair from your point of view, but imagine having a judge force you to allow your daughter to be with someone you didn't want involved when she was a child and perhaps you can see the other side).
Anyway, as I said -- keep the lines open with the father of the child and hope for the best. In the meantime continue to work on the relationship with your daughter -- emotions are high right now on all sides and that never helps, as things cool down perhaps a better agreement can be reached.
Good luck and God Bless