The legally supported ability of grand¬ parents to visit their grandchildren even if the parents have separated or divorced. In practice, many parents wish to continue relationships between grandparent and grandchild, but some do not, and their attempt to bar such contact has led to a great deal of lobbying for legal protection of grandparents’ visitation rights. Most states now have laws supporting grandparents’ rights. One state, Illinois, has even passed a landmark law guaranteeing grandparents’ visitation rights while the parents remain together, regardless of the parents’ wishes in the matter. However, in cases of adoption, which involves termination OF parental rights, grandparents often lose their visitation rights, although some states formally protect them when the adoption is by a stepparent.