Georgia Code
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 19-7-3. Actions by Grandparents or Other Family Members for Visitation Rights or Intervention; Revocation or Amendment of Visitation Rights; Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem; Mediation; Hearing; Notification to Family Members of Child’s Participati...

The court shall make specific written findings of fact in support of its rulings.
The court shall make specific written findings of fact in support of its rulings.
History. Ga. L. 1976, p. 247, § 1; Ga. L. 1980, p. 936, § 1; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1318, § 1; Ga. L. 1986, p. 10, § 19; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1516, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 864, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1572, § 4; Ga. L. 1993, p. 456, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1089, § 1; Ga. L. 2012, p. 860, § 1/HB 1198; Ga. L. 2016, p. 87, § 1/HB 229; Ga. L. 2022, p. 749, § 1/SB 576.
The 2016 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, rewrote this Code section.
The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, substituted the present provisions of subsection (d) for the former provisions, which read: “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section, if one of the parents of a minor child dies, is incapacitated, or is incarcerated, the court may award the parent of the deceased, incapacitated, or incarcerated parent of such minor child reasonable visitation to such child during his or her minority if the court in its discretion finds that such visitation would be in the best interests of the child. The custodial parent’s judgment as to the best interests of the child regarding visitation shall be given deference by the court but shall not be conclusive.”
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 1996, p. 1089, § 2, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “The trial court may award reasonable attorney fees and costs to a respondent in an action filed pursuant to this Act upon the finding that the petition is brought for the purpose of harassment or any other improper purpose.”
Law reviews.
For comment on “Grandparents’ Visitation Rights in Georgia,” see 29 Emory L.J. 1083 (1980).
For article surveying developments in Georgia domestic relations law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 109 (1981).
For article citing developments in Georgia juvenile court practice and procedure from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 22 Mercer L. Rev. 167 (1981).
For survey article on domestic relations, see 34 Mercer L. Rev. 113 (1982).
For annual survey of law of domestic relations, see 38 Mercer L. Rev. 179 (1986).
For note on permissive intervention of grandparents in divorce proceedings, see 26 Ga. L. Rev. 787 (1992).
For comment on Brooks v. Parkerson, 265 Ga. 189 , 454 S.E.2d 769 (1995), appearing below, see 11 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 779 (1995).
For review of 1996 domestic relations legislation, see 13 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 148 (1996).
For annual survey article discussing developments in domestic relations law, see 51 Mercer L. Rev. 263 (1999).
For annual survey of domestic relations law, see 56 Mercer L. Rev. 221 (2004).
For annual survey of domestic relations law, see 58 Mercer L. Rev. 133 (2006).
For survey article on domestic relations law, see 59 Mercer L. Rev. 139 (2007) and 60 Mercer L. Rev. 121 (2008).
For annual survey on domestic relations law, see 64 Mercer L. Rev. 121 (2012).
For article on the 2012 amendment of this Code section, see 29 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 320 (2012).
For annual survey on domestic relations law, see 68 Mercer L. Rev. 107 (2016).
For annual survey on domestic relations, see 69 Mercer L. Rev. 83 (2017).
For annual survey on domestic relations, see 70 Mercer L. Rev. 81 (2018).
For annual survey on domestic relations, see 71 Mercer L. Rev. 83 (2019).