Grand mother denied visits

[rbell]

I have a grand daughter that I helped my son raise (she is 5). We have always been close. My son is in the military, I relocated to Washington from California, ( I am not familiar with Washington law.) I brought my grand daughter up here so my son can be with her. My son married in April 2009. After knowing the girl for 1 month, red flag for me but ok. After a couple of weeks the wife changed and became controlling and emotionally abusive towards my son. In about may she flipped out at my apartment, and hit my son almost knocking him down, all because he wanted a dog. When I tried to calm her down she started throwing things, screamin and yelling. It ended with me calling the police to have her removed, she left before they arrived. Before that my grand daughter stayed with me every other weekend, since then I hardly ever saw her and when I would call she is busy playing or not there. She has now started assulting my son. Black eye, bite marks. he had her arrested but then helped pay her bail this was in June. I tried to get my son to leave her, he refuses. Now my son has completly kicked me out of his life and I am not allowed to see my grand daughter at all. I need to make sure she is ok. my thing is what can I do to legaly get visitation of her. Just one weekend a month. Oh to top this off he is deploying for a year and plans on leaving my grand daughter with his wife. I am terrified of her well being while she is alone with this woman. What can I do??? and once he is deployed do I have more rights to my grand daughter then her step mother. There is no custody order in place, the biological mother lives in California and they have always shared custody, never needed to take it to court, now she also is not allowed to see the child. I am deasprate and need to protect my baby girl.

 

[grandmainco]

you need to go to the courts

Without going to the courts you have no rights at all. You need to show that you are a significant person to your grandchild and that there is and has been an emotional attachment. Grandparents have no rights unless you ask the courts for them. If you have taken care of the child and the child has lived with you within the last six months, you can file for custody. But you only have SIX months to file. I am not an attorney, just have learned from experience.