As medical technology advances, more viable opportunities for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments and procedures become available to families experiencing fertility issues. Although the sperm donation process has been available for years, in the last decade, donation of ova and donation of embryos have also become a welcome option to create families. For example, it is increasingly common today for a couple to conceive a child using a donor ova or donor sperm, which are united in vitro to form an embryo, then transferred to the intended mother’s reproductive tract to achieve a pregnancy. The same basic medical processes can be used to achieve a pregnancy in an individual acting as a gestational surrogate.
When families plan to have children through an Assisted Reproduction process, legal parentage should be considered before the medical processes begin. Establishing and documenting legal parentage varies significantly between countries, states, and jurisdictions. Our office will assist intended parents to secure all parental rights and when necessary, seek judicial orders confirming their parentage. Similarly, donors and surrogates must ensure they have no parental obligations or responsibilities for any child born through the assisted reproduction procedure. Each situation is unique, and our office will help you formulate an appropriate legal plan to accomplish your goals.