Court: Brazilian Grandma Should Make Visitation Case For Sean Goldman

A New Jersey appellate court has ruled that the Brazilian grandmother of a Tinton Falls boy who was at the center of an international custody battle should get a chance to fight in court for visitation with him.

In a 21-page decision made public Wednesday, the three-judge panel said Silvana Bianchi Ribeiro should get a chance to prove terminating her relationship with Sean Goldman would be harmful to the boy. But the court would not act on Ribeiro's request for interim visitation with the now 12-year-old boy or a court-appointed attorney to represent him.

The decision, first reported by The Star-Ledger of Newark, overturned a lower court ruling.

The appellate court also urged the grandmother and the boy's father, David Goldman of Tinton Falls, to reach an out-of-court settlement.