In Re Hood

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Six, J.:

This is a family law first-impression case concerning a claim of visitation rights by an unrelated third party. Dianne Hofmann appeals the dismissal of her petition to allow visitation with a four-year-old minor, Senator J. Christopher Hood. Dianne asserts standing under the grandparent visitation statute, K.S.A. 38-129. She also advocates the creation of a common-law right of visitation for third parties when two conditions are met: (1) Visitation is in the child’s best interests, and (2) there has been a substantial relationship between the…