Home : Legal support : Becoming the primary carer for your grandchildren
Becoming the primary carer for your grandchildren
The most common way to become the primary carer for your grandchildren is either through a
voluntary or informal arrangement with the child’s parents, or a formal court order issued
to protect the children.
If you have an informal arrangement with the children’s parents you can draw up a written
agreement with the parents outlining the arrangement you have for your grandchildren. A
written agreement can help reduce confusion and stress for everyone involved. It can take
any form, however it must be in writing and signed and dated by all parties. It must be
made free of any threat, duress or intimidation. Your plan should be practical, concrete
and able to deal with any aspect of the care, welfare and development of your
grandchildren.
The kinds of things included in a written plan are:
-
who the child will live with,
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how much time the child will spend with each parent,
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how much time the child will spend with other people such as other grandparents,
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how the parents will share responsibility and consult about decisions like education,
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arrangements for special days, and
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child support.
A mediator may be able to help you if you and the parents of your grandchildren are having
trouble putting together a written agreement. Contact a
Family Relationship Centre near you to find out more about making a written agreement
and mediation.
You can formalise your written agreement by filling in and registering consent orders
through the Family Court. In most cases you will not have to attend court to register your
consent orders for your grandchildren. The Family Courts do not charge any fees for
lodging consent orders.
