The law can serve as the instrument by which grandparents can obtain a court hearing of their situation, the means by which they may enter a system in which family conciliation is being considered, and the setter of a new standard for the post-divorce family in which the grandparents' role is no longer marginalized. However, research conducted by the authors suggests that prevailing constructions of the welfare principle by court welfare officers, who often have a negative attitude toward grandparents in general, may undermine the effect and influence of the Children Act. Many welfare officers felt unable to pay much attention to grandparents because they believed that parents alone should determine the issues to be addressed in family conciliation. Court welfare officers should aim to make parents aware of the sense of loss their children may suffer as the result of the severance of relationships with grandparents. 6 references