Opinion ID: 1733950
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: legal argument

Text: Section 61.13(7) states: In any case where the child is actually residing with a grandparent in a stable relationship, whether the court has awarded custody to the grandparent or not, the court may recognize the grandparents as having the same standing as parents for evaluating what custody arrangements are in the best interest of the child. See § 61.13(7), Fla. Stat. (1997). This section clearly gives grandparents the right to intervene in a custody dispute under chapter 61 and be granted the same legal custody rights as the natural parents, if the grandparents establish that (1) the child is actually residing with the grandparents, and (2) in a stable relationship. The mother asserts that the statute is facially unconstitutional because it gives grandparents an elevated status and a fundamental right to raise their grandchild equal to that of a parent. Further, the statute permits courts to determine which party should obtain custody of the child based solely on the best interest of the child standard, without first determining whether the parent is unfit or whether detriment would result to the child if custody was awarded to the parent. The grandmother, appellant, argues that section 61.13(7) is not facially unconstitutional under the reasoning of Von Eiff and Beagle because those decisions dealt with a completely different statutory provision. Alternatively, she argues that section 61.13(7) may be saved by interpreting the statute in a way that passes constitutional muster. While we recognize the obvious good intentions of the Legislature in passing this legislation as well as the grandparent visitation legislation, we disagree with both of the grandmother's contentions. Under our prior holdings, including Von Eiff and Beagle, it is apparent that section 61.13(7) unconstitutionally violates a natural parent's fundamental right to raise his or her child absent a compelling state justification. [2] In Von Eiff and Beagle the statute in question was limited to visitation rights to grandparents, [3] while section 61.13(7) grants custody rights. In Von Eiff, we explained that Florida's Constitution guarantees a right to privacy and that such right includes a parent's fundamental right to rear his or her child free from governmental intrusion and control. See 720 So.2d at 513. We further explained that the state can satisfy the compelling state interest standard [only] when it acts to prevent demonstrable harm to a child. Id. at 515 (quoting Beagle, 678 So.2d at 1276). Accordingly, we held that a trial court may not intrude upon the parent-child relationship by awarding visitation rights to a grandparent without evidence of a demonstrable harm to the child. Id.; see also Beagle, 678 So.2d at 1276. This conclusion is also, of course, consistent with this Court's long-standing view of custody disputes between natural parents and third parties, including grandparents. As we declared in In re Guardianship of D.A. McW, When a custody dispute is between two parents, where both are fit and have equal rights to custody, the test involves only the determination of the best interests of the child. When the custody dispute is between a natural parent and a third party, however, the test must include consideration of the right of a natural parent to enjoy the custody, fellowship and companionship of his off-spring.... This is a rule older than the common law itself. State ex rel. Sparks v. Reeves, 97 So.2d 18, 20 (Fla.1957). In Reeves we held that in such a circumstance [sic], custody should be denied to the natural parent only when such an award will, in fact, be detrimental to the welfare of the child. We explained what would constitute detriment to the child and approved a temporary grant of custody to the grandparents because of the father's temporary inability to care for the children after the mother's death. We cautioned, however, that the father would be entitled to custody once his ability to care for the children was established. Id. at 20-21. 460 So.2d 368, 369-70 (Fla.1984). Although D.A. McW was not decided on constitutional principles, we reaffirmed there our longstanding view that the natural parent had a clear preference to custody over all others based upon the status of parenthood. Id. at 370. The reasoning and logic of D.A. McW, Von Eiff and Beagle applies with equal, if not more compelling, force here. In effect, section 61.13(7) treats grandparents and natural parents alike by giving grandparents custody rights equal to those of a parent, and allows courts to make its custody determination between parents and grandparents based solely on the best interest of the child standard. The grant of such rights to grandparents is unconstitutional under our reasoning in Von Eiff because it also interferes with the natural parent's fundamental right to privacy in rearing one's own child, a right this Court found to exist under article I, section 23 of the Florida Constitution. See Von Eiff. Hence, we find no valid basis to distinguish the custody statute we consider here from the visitation statute we considered in Von Eiff and Beagle, except for the fact the custody statute is even more intrusive upon a parent's rights.