Opinion ID: 2633550
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Colorado's Grandparent Visitation Statute.

Text: Colorado adopted its grandparent visitation statute in 1980. See Act of Apr. 10, 1980, ch. 91, 1980 Colo. Sess. Laws 541. The statute provides for grandparent visitation orders when there is a child custody case or a case concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities relating to the child. This includes situations in which a parent who is the child of the petitioning grandparent has died. (1) Any grandparent of a child may, in the manner set forth in this section, seek a court order granting the grandparent reasonable grandchild visitation rights when there is or has been a child custody case or a case concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities relating to that child. Because cases arise that do not directly deal with child custody or the allocation of parental responsibilities but nonetheless have an impact on the custody of or parental responsibilities with respect to a child, for the purposes of this section, a case concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities with respect to a child includes any of the following, whether or not child custody was or parental responsibilities were specifically an issue: (a) That the marriage of the child's parents has been declared invalid or has been dissolved by a court or that a court has entered a decree of legal separation with regard to such marriage; (b) That legal custody of or parental responsibilities with respect to the child have been given or allocated to a party other than the child's parent or that the child has been placed outside of and does not reside in the home of the child's parent, excluding any child who has been placed for adoption or whose adoption has been legally finalized; or (c) That the child's parent, who is the child of the grandparent, has died. (2) . . . . If neither party requests a hearing, the court shall enter an order granting grandchild visitation rights to the petitioning grandparent only upon a finding that the visitation is in the best interests of the child. A hearing shall be held if either party so requests or if it appears to the court that it is in the best interests of the child that a hearing be held. At the hearing, parties submitting affidavits shall be allowed an opportunity to be heard. If, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court finds it is in the best interests of the child to grant grandchild visitation rights to the petitioning grandparent, the court shall enter an order granting such rights. § 19-1-117, C.R.S. (2005) (emphasis added). In adopting the grandparent visitation statute, the General Assembly recognized that grandparents often undertake parental-type roles in the family when the parental relationship is disrupted or impaired. In Troxel, the Supreme Court noted this same societal phenomenon: The nationwide enactment of nonparental visitation statutes is assuredly due, in some part, to the States' recognition of ... changing realities of the American family. Troxel, 530 U.S. at 64, 120 S.Ct. 2054. In 2002, four percent of children lived in households with neither parent present, and of those children, almost half were living in their grandparents' household. Jason Fields, U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Children's Living Arrangements and Characteristics: March 2002, at 3 (June 2003). Also as of 2002, 5.6 million children were living in households with a grandparent present (8 percent of all children). Id. at 6. Colorado is a best interests of the child state. See L.A.G. v. People in re A.A.G., 912 P.2d 1385, 1391 (Colo.1996) (noting that broad purposes of Children's Code emphasizes the paramount importance of providing remedies that will further the best interests of the child). In its dissolution of marriage act, the General Assembly enumerated in section 14-10-124(1.5)(a), C.R.S. (2005), a number of relevant factors that a court must consider in determining the best interests of the child for purposes of parenting time. In connection with marriage dissolution, the court is assigned the role of finding what parenting time is in the child's best interests after taking into account the statutory factors and any others applicable given the circumstances of the particular case. It can deny parenting time to a particular parent if parenting time by that party would endanger the child's physical health or significantly impair the child's emotional development. The statutory factors enumerated for parenting time orders include: (I) The wishes of the child's parents as to parenting time; (II) The wishes of the child if he or she is sufficiently mature to express reasoned and independent preferences as to the parenting time schedule; (III) The interaction and interrelationship of the child with his or her parents, his or her siblings, and any other person who may significantly affect the child's best interests; (IV) The child's adjustment to his or her home, school, and community; (V) The mental and physical health of all individuals involved, except that a disability alone shall not be a basis to deny or restrict parenting time; (VI) The ability of the parties to encourage the sharing of love, affection, and contact between the child and the other party; (VII) Whether the past pattern of involvement of the parties with the child reflects a system of values, time commitment, and mutual support; (VIII) The physical proximity of the parties to each other as this relates to the practical considerations of parenting time; (IX) Whether one of the parties has been a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect under section 18-6-401, C.R.S., or under the law of any state, which factor shall be supported by credible evidence; (X) Whether one of the parties has been a perpetrator of spouse abuse as defined in subsection (4) of this section, which factor shall be supported by credible evidence; (XI) The ability of each party to place the needs of the child ahead of his or her own needs. § 14-10-124(1.5)(a)(I)-(XI); see L.A.G., 912 P.2d at 1388-89. Upon the motion of either parent or its own motion, the court must then allocate the decision-making responsibilities between the parties based on the best interests of the child. § 14-10-124(1.5)(b). The grandparent visitation statute allows a grandparent to seek reasonable grandchild visitation rights when there is a child custody case or a case concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities. § 19-1-117(1). It prevents the court from entering a grandparent visitation order unless the visitation is in the best interests of the child. § 19-1-117(2). And it prevents grandparents from seeking an order granting grandchild visitation rights more than once every two years absent a showing of good cause. § 19-1-117(3). The court may terminate or modify grandchild visitation rights whenever such order would serve the best interests of the child, § 19-1-117(4), and any order granting or denying parenting time rights to the parent of a child shall not affect visitation rights granted to a grandparent, § 19-1-117(5). The statute also addresses disputes concerning grandparent visitation. § 19-1-117.5. The court's order imposing additional terms and conditions or modifying the previous order must address the best interests of the child. § 19-1-117(4). Although the grandparent visitation statute does not specifically enumerate the best interests of the child factors the court must take into account, many if not all of the factors contained in section 14-10-124(1.5)(a)(I)-(XI), C.R.S. (2005), may also be relevant for the court's consideration when considering a grandparent visitation petition. See L.A.G., 912 P.2d at 1391 (stating that broad purposes of the children's code emphasize the paramount importance of providing remedies that will further the best interests of the child). However, in light of the Supreme Court's Troxel decision, due process imposes a special weight burden on the grandparents to overcome parental wishes when the court has before it a grandparent visitation petition.