Grandparents increasingly play significant roles in the lives of their grandchildren as young parents become busier and busier with their careers or simply making ends meet in our current economy. Grandparents are often called upon as primary caretakers whenever the children’s parents are at work. To address the importance of such relationships in such circumstances, Minnesota has developed two important statutes to support grandparenting time: §518.1752 Grandparent Visitation and §257C.08 Rights of Visitation to Unmarried Persons.

When it comes to the best interests of grandchildren, grandparents often get caught in the middle of the parental disputes or feel left out of the decision-making process when the parents of their grandchildren go through a divorce - especially when the grandchild's parents were never married. Mediation gives grandparents included in the process a voice in decision-making and helps support ongoing, strong extended family bonds with the grandchildren. The basic mediation fee schedule applies to these services.


Northwest Mediation & Custody Evaluation Services staff are fully trained neutrals
as defined under Minnesota General Rules of Practice Rule 114,
and proud members of the
NWM&CES is a member of the AFCC