Legal advice for visiting my granddaughter in Australia

What you mean OP is that you want to know whether you can take legal action against the father to force him to let you see your grandchild at any time you choose while you are in Australia.

I suggest you go back to square one and consider what you are actually contemplating and what effect it will have on your relationship with your grandchild, when her father says that she is being forced to see her grandparents - and what it says about you.

What does it say about you relationship with your daughter and grandaughter that you will so selfishly disrupt the very careful arrangement between the seprated parents and their child, just so you can see your grandchild. No concern for her, your daughter or her father, all about you.

Gtandparents have no rights in law in relation to their grandchildren and I hope they never do. Too many grandparents, at least ones we see on GN, seem to think that they are the most importnt thing in their grandchildren's lifes and even the parents to bow to their demands.

If you cannot negotiate an amicable agreement with this child's parents about when they would be happy for you to spend time with your grandchild while you are in Australia then any kind of legal action would only make the situation worse.

I don’t see the issue.

Of course your granddaughter’s father wants his time with his child.

Surely you don’t expect your granddaughter to not see her father for 26 days? Do you?

Legally her father will have visitation rights what that means 12000miles away depends on the cooperation of the mother. It could be a lovely visit, it could be a total nightmare, before I would get involved I would want to know the mother’s attitude to such a visit, preferably speaking directly to her.

Cost is an issue, airfares alone is going to cost £2000 each and probably as much again for living cost, I would not want to arrive to find that the family had “gone on a camping trip”.

This child is beginning the process of accepting her parents separation. Maintaining the current contact arrangements is important to her and to her father
I’m surprised yiu mention the financial cost of this visit, as tho that alongside your wish to see her is somehow more relevant than her emotional needs and stability at a time of transition

You can’t prevent her father from spending the court-agreed time with her, just because it clashes with your trip! Make additional plans for those dates and enjoy the time you do get - you can hardly expect him not to see her for an entire month!

Hi. I have no experience of this but have been to Australia many times.

I don't think it matters where in the world this is, the issues would be the same, except Australia and NZ are furthest away therefore you have to plan well.

Just a few questions:

Why do you stay a six hour drive away? I know some parts of Australia are remote but even if you can't physically stay with them (there must be good reasons?) surely there would be something closer?

The father is entitled to time with his daughter, and she with him so I don't see the issue that your granddaughter will be away from ten days, you don't say how old she is.

You will still be spending time with your daughter and I would make the most of that time with her. You can still be in touch with your GD by phone etc?

I have lots of family and friends in Aus and they all realise we can't get to see everyone on such a trip- it isn't geographically possible.

You have a choice though, to go when your GD isn't visiting her dad, but I can see that may present difficulties too.

This is my advice, to go anyway and make the most of time with your family members. For me it is a quality not quantity thing.

Both parents have PR ....and likely an arrangement re contact....grandparents have to fit in with this ....maybe your DD could speak to him about rearranging...but ultimately its up to him I guess...he probably has works and fits his contact in around that ....maybe do other things in between and make the most of the days you do have together

Sorry I am not quite clear how much of the four weeks you normally spend with the family since you say you stay a six hour drive from them. Can you work around the arrangements?

I do not know the law in Australia regarding this but surely wherever you are the father would have more legal rights over his child than the grandparents.