questions & answers

Question: My grandson's mom died, dad-my son- was in prison. Baby was living with my ex-husband (step grandfather), and he said state makes inmates sever parental rights-pushed him to sign voluntarily so he could adopt. He said if I interfere State may place the boy for adoption by strangers and I was not even being considered as adoptive placement. CPS, Foster Care board and courts wouldn't call me back to confirm. Ex husband said if I interfere we lose the boy forever so I stopped. Son died last year. Exhusband will no longer let me see my grandson. I think he lied-manipulated us and State acted inappropriately

Answer: Because of the complexity and significance of a court order terminating parental rights, please consult an attorney for further help. Title 8 of the Arizona Revised Statutes includes information on all matters concerning juveniles and can be a source for information. Title 8  includes statutes on the termination of parental rights, adoption, and child placement, among other child-related topics. Chapter 5, Article 2 contains the statutes specific to the termination of a parental-child relationship. Arizona allows courts to award reasonable visitation to grandparents if it deems that such visitation is in the best interests of the child. A.R.S. § 25-409  lists the requirements that must be met by the grandparents in order to establish that visitation is in the best interests of the child. Again, this can be very complex and it is recommended that you consult an attorney.