Any info on grandparent rights in Ohio?

Question

My friends in Ohio are expecting a baby in February. They are willing to allow all family members to visit with the child on a regular basis, supervised by them, as they have the wife's other 4 children. The husbands controlling mother wants the newborn to spend the night, travel from Ohio to N. Carolina without the parents and wishes to provide childcare for the infant instead of them taking it to the same childcare the other children attend. The parents don't feel comfortable with such things and have stated that they will make great effort to allow for "grandma time". Upon denial of her demands, the grandma has declared she will fight for rights...I have found she has no stand. I am trying to find laws/guidelines for such things so I can help mediate the situatuin before this baby comes and that family is torn apart. Any ideas as to where to look for such laws?

Answer 1

Ohio no longer has any laws concerning "grandparents rights". Those laws were abolished around 1989. Therefore the pushy grandma has no legal rights and nothing to fight for. The parents are free to do as they wish, only birth parents or legal guardians have rights to children. This should be explained to her, if she refuses to understand or listen, well she don't have to see the child at all.  

Answer 2

The grandparents have no legal rights regarding those children.

However, you are on the right track to consider mediation.  I would suggest that, rather than an amateur, these people might greatly benefit from professional mediation.

Many communities have alternative dispute resolution services for very low fees.  

Answer 3

There may be miscellaneous laws in various states regarding grandparents rights but they are irrelevant,  In 2000 The Supreme Court of the US heard a case called Troxel v Granville.  Grandparents sought right to visit grandchildren. Mother opposed.  Supreme Court held the state ordered visitation order was unconstitutional infringement on mother's fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, & control of her daughters.

State superior Court had failed to accord determination of mother as a fit custodial parent, any material weight; announced presumption in favor of grandparent visitation; & failed to accord significant weight to mother already having offered meaningful visitation to Grandparents. Due Process didn’t permit State to infringe on fundamental right of parents to make child rearing decisions.

Bottom line, grandma can squawk all she wants, but she has no rights