Ask Andrea

Granddaughter Crisis

Dear Andrea,

I am a grandmother, 59 years old, and an MDC student. In 2009 my older son was killed and he left a daughter behind, who will be 3 years old in December.

The mother has refused to let my son’s family be part of our granddaughter’s life. I have two questions:

Does she have a right to have her present husband adopt her [daughter], or does the law ask that she wait until the baby is 18 years old?

The second question is, do you know of any avenues that I can seek to be able to see my grand- daughter? My ex-husband, his parents, my other son, etc, are really anxious to see her, especially since she is turning three this year, and my son is not around to see her.

-Laura P.

Dear Laura,

According to Florida adoption law, your former daughter-in-law’s husband may adopt the child before she turns 18 as long as the mother consents. I recommend you seek help from a lawyer; there’s more than a few of those that would be glad to speak to you on the matter, what I will tell you is this: be prepared for a lengthy— and perhaps costly—battle.

-Andrea