You often hear about custody and visitation disputes, but may not have given much consideration to another area of family law -- grandparent's rights. There are many situations in which a grandparent might have a legal basis to see visitation or custody of a grandchild. As with any other area of family law, these sorts of matters and the rights of the grandparent vary state by state. 

If you think you have a grandparent's rights situation on your hands and want to handle things in a way that serves you best, read on. 

Assess the relationship and what rights you might have

Before moving forward with your case, it's important that you take time to figure out the situation and what legal grounds you might have. There are a number of circumstances that would give a grandparent the legal right to visit their grandchild. For instance, many courts recognize these rights if one or both of the child's parents died, if one or both parents are unfit, or if the grandparent was unfairly prevented from seeing the child. 

All of these matters boil down to specific details and state laws, so you'll need the help of a legal professional to make sure that you can satisfy the burden of proof. When you start to get a handle on this area of law, it's easier for you to figure out how to proceed. 

Reach out to a family law attorney and get mediation as you move forward

No matter which way you proceed, be sure that you start seeking the help of legal professionals. Hiring a family law attorney that handles grandparent's rights cases will be a huge plus in your favor and will help you determine the landscape of the case. 

These lawyers will see you for free on a consultation basis so that you can figure out what you are up against and whether you would like to hire them to represent you. In situations involving family custody and visitation, it is always best to seek mediation whenever you can. These are very personal relationships, so the more compromises and agreements all parties can reach outside of court, the better. Getting mediation helps you to alleviate the stress of the situation and also makes it less expensive in the long run. 

Start with these tips and make sure that you reach out to grandparent's rights law services for more help.