Great-Grandparents Not Entitled to Visitation

In Mississippi grandparents can seek visitation with their grandchildren through the courts. Recently the Mississippi Court of Appeals was tasked with determining whether or not such a right extended to great-grandparents.

In Lott v. Alexander (handed down March 11, 2014) the court of appeals ruled that grandparent visitation does not extend to great-grandparents, because the statute - which is clear and unambiguous - does not include or address great-grandparents.

If the legislature had intended the statute to cover any persons other than grandparents they would have included such language in the statute.

Jonathan T. Day, Esq. is a Divorce & Family Law attorney serving the Jackson, MS metro-area. You can reach him at (601)-707-8953 or jtd@jonathantday.com.