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Navigating Grandparent Contact

June 24, 2025 | Danielle Sawh, SorbaraLAW

Do Grandparents Have A Legal Right of Contact With Their Grandchildren?

In short, no.

The Children’s Law Reform Act defines “contact” as “the time a child spends in the care of a person other than the child’s parents, whether or not the child is physically with the person during that time” (Section 18(1)).

In Ontario, although grandparents do not have an automatic legal right to have contact with their grandchildren, they do have the right to make an application for contact. Section 21(3) of the Children’s Law Reform Act states that “any person other than the parent of a child, including a grandparent, may apply to a court for a contact order with respect to the child”. The legislation clearly identifies grandparents as persons who may apply for a contact order from the Court.

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