Grandparents’ & Kinship Rights
By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child and Family Investigator. When you’re raising a grandchild — or fighting to see one — here are your Colorado grandparent visitation and kinship options.
Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq. — On the Legal Front Lines · Former Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney · 20+ Years in Private Practice · Former Colorado Deputy District Attorney · Colorado Court-Appointed Child and Family Investigator
A parent’s rights are strong, but they’re not the end of the story
Colorado gives grandparents and kin real, if narrow, tools. Grandparent visitation, which the statute calls “family time” (C.R.S. § 14-10-124.4), is available after a divorce or legal separation, when a parent has died, or when the child has been placed with someone other than a parent — and then only against the constitutional weight courts give a fit parent’s decisions.
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Grandparent cases turn on the entry point
Whether you file for visitation, custody (APR), or guardianship changes everything about your odds. The free call is where we pick the door that actually fits your family.
Frequently asked questions
Do grandparents have visitation rights in Colorado?
They can, in specific situations. Colorado allows grandparents and great-grandparents to seek family time (visitation) with a grandchild (C.R.S. § 14-10-124.4) after a divorce or legal separation, when a parent has died, or when the child has been placed with someone other than a parent. The law gives significant weight to a fit parent's decisions, so these cases require careful strategy.
Can grandparents get custody of a grandchild?
Sometimes. A non-parent who has had the child in their care can seek an allocation of parental responsibilities under C.R.S. § 14-10-123, typically when the child has lived with them or a parent is unable to care for the child. The bar is high, and the firm will give you a candid read.
What is kinship care?
Kinship care is when relatives step in to raise a child whose parents cannot. Colorado increasingly supports kinship placements, and the right legal tool — guardianship, an allocation of parental responsibilities, or adoption — depends on whether the arrangement needs to be temporary or permanent.
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