ANSWERS: 2
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No. Grandparents do not have any rights in regards to their grandchildren. This was the holding in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Troxel v. Granville. In Troxel the Court held that the right to choose how your child is raised is an exclusive right of the parents protected by the Constitution, and a state could only interfere with this right after a showing that the parents are in some way unfit. There are many states that still have statues on the books that allow grandparents rights like visitation. However, these statutes are now overruled unless they specifically apply to grandparents AFTER the parents have been found unfit. But long story short, so long as you are fit to raise your children, the grandparents have no legal standing to object.
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I think that the child's wishes need to be considered in all of this. If the child wants to be adopted and have a change of name, then go for it, but if not, then respect for identity is needed. The grandparents need to realize that no matter the name, the child is still their blood kin, and nothing can ever change that. They should love and respect the child's wishes, as you should. Just my two cents.
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