Labour and the Conservatives will do battle over family values again with the Government pledging greater legal rights for grandparents.
The move is among a raft of proposals being unveiled by Children's Secretary Ed Balls as the parties compete on the key policy area.
Mr Balls stressed the "invaluable role" played by millions of grandparents, but said that when families break down they often find it difficult to maintain links with grandchildren.
Under the plans, they will no longer have to seek leave from the courts before applying for contact with their grandchildren. A website - BeGrand - will also be launched to provide information and advice on their rights and role.
Mr Balls said: "Grandparents are often the unsung heroes when it comes to informal care arrangements for children and young people.
"They play an invaluable role for millions of families, helping to bring up children and also helping working families balance work and family life and stepping in when things go wrong."
"Removing the barriers that grandparents face in courts, when they wish to see their grandchildren through times of divorce and separation, will relieve an enormous burden currently placed on grandparents."
The Tories accused the Government of copying their ideas and said the Green Paper on Families did not go far enough to "mend Britain's broken society".
David Willetts, who is responsible for the party's family policy, said: "This adoption of the Conservative idea to give greater rights to grandparents is a welcome move. For far too long the Government has focused only on the relationship between mother and baby. In doing so they have ignored the other important relationships like those between parents and involving other family members like grandparents.
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"But the Government's general approach of creating leaflets and websites without confronting the big issues does not meet the challenge that is before us."
