Timothy S. sought weekend visits, dinners, and weekly video calls under Family Code Section 3104 after caring for his granddaughter between September 2019 and August 2021. The mother, Sarah H., opposed the request after regaining custody and demanded $17,193 to cover her incurred and anticipated legal costs. While the dispute remained pending, the trial court initially granted Timothy only a single five-minute telephone call per month. The Court of Appeal ultimately affirmed that fee-shifting rules under the Uniform Parentage Act do not apply to standalone grandparent visitation cases.
Key points
California appellate judges ruled that Family Code Section 7605 applies exclusively to ca…: California appellate judges ruled that Family Code Section 7605 applies exclusively to cases filed under the Uniform Parentage Act.
Standalone grandparent visitation petitions filed under Family Code Section 3104 lack sta…: Standalone grandparent visitation petitions filed under Family Code Section 3104 lack statutory authority for awarding parentage-related legal fees.
Grandparents filing for visitation rights under Section 3104 cannot be forced to pay oppo…: Grandparents filing for visitation rights under Section 3104 cannot be forced to pay opposing parental attorney fees under parentage fee-shifting rules.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A grandfather who once helped raise his granddaughter for nearly two years found himself seeking court intervention to maintain contact with her after her mother regained custody. Although he requested regular visits, family dinners and weekly video calls, the court initially allowed him only a five-minute telephone conversation with the children once a month. The dispute eventually reached California's Court of Appeal, where a separate question about legal expenses became the central issue.
The
ruling in Timothy S v. Sarah H, issued on November 3, 2026, by California's Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One, is available on Justia under case number D087153. The appeal was brought by the children's mother, who wanted the grandfather to pay $17,193 in attorney's fees and legal costs she incurred while opposing his visitation petition. The appellate court upheld the lower court's refusal to award the money, explaining that the law governing attorney's fees in parentage proceedings did not apply to a separate petition for grandparent visitation.
Grandfather sought regular visits after helping raise his granddaughter
Investigators across Europe are struggling to trace coordinated false alarms that disrupted commercial aviation and forced military interventions. Officials suspect the incidents could represent state-sponsored grey-zone warfare aimed at destabilizing transport infrastructure without crossing the threshold of direct armed conflict. However, conclusive proof identifying a specific nation or proxy group remains elusive.
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy trainee secured a historic silver in Dakar after pushing China's reigning World Junior Champion Zhang Yi Xin through an 82-minute final. Entering the multi-sport event as the third seed, the fifteen-year-old rallied from a nine-point deficit in the deciding game before narrowly missing out on gold. Her podium finish places her alongside previous Indian silver medallists H.S. Prannoy and Lakshya Sen.
The internal friction at Ferrari comes after an opening-lap battle in Mexico cost the Italian outfit a potential one-two finish and handed the victory to Max Verstappen. As the team prepares for Brazil, the British driver is demanding a formal review of internal racing rules to prevent future squandered points. The lingering tension highlights the growing pains of managing two top-tier drivers as Ferrari attempts to mount a championship challenge next year.