Grandparents And Visitation
Minn. Stat. 257C.08 — after a death, in a family case, or after living with the grandparents
In Minnesota, the district court may grant reasonable visitation to grandparents or great grandparents in the situations the section names, on finding that visitation would be in the child's best interests and would not interfere with the parent and child relationship:
- A parent of the child has died, and the deceased parent's parents or grandparents ask for visitation.
- A dissolution, custody, legal separation, annulment or parentage case, during or after it, on the request of a party's parent or grandparent.
- The child lived with the grandparents or great grandparents for 12 months or more and was then removed by the parents.
Once denied, six months. If a motion for grandparent visitation has been heard and denied, no later motion may be filed within six months after the earlier one was decided on its merits, unless the parties agree in writing.
The court considers the amount of contact before the application, and the section does not apply once the child is adopted by someone other than a stepparent or grandparent. Whether a petition can succeed is a question for the court and for a licensed Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Minn. Stat. 257C.08 — Rights of visitation to unmarried minors
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Minnesota attorney.