Devon lawyer tells grandparents not to despair if they lose contact with their grandchildren

In the week that we celebrated Grandparents’ Day, a family lawyer from East Devon has spoken of the plight of grandparents who lose contact with their grandchildren as a result of family breakdown, feud or bereavement.

In the UK, grandparents don’t have an automatic right to contact with their grandchildren. However, they can ask the Court for permission to apply for a Child Arrangements Order to see them. It is rare for an application by a grandparent to be refused, unless it can be shown not to be in the child’s best interests.

Zoe Gaitskell, a Partner with Beviss & Beckingsale in Honiton, says: “Sadly, an increasing number of grandparents don’t have the opportunity to show their love for their grandchildren on Grandparents’ Day or throughout the year, due to parental conflict.

“However, they should take heart from the fact that family courts recognise the invaluable role grandparents play in children’s lives. As a trained Collaborative Lawyer, I have helped many grandparents resolve family disputes amicably and gain access to their grandchildren.”

According to the charity Grandparents Plus, there are fourteen million grandparents in the UK.  Statistics released in 2015 showed that in one year alone 2,500 grandparents started court proceedings to gain access to their grandchildren. Eight new applications are made in the UK every day.