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06
May
2026

The UK Supreme Court Rules There Is No Power To Revoke A Valid Adoption Order

On 22 April 2026, the UK Supreme Court published its legal ruling on whether the court has power to revoke a validly made adoption order where there is no scope for an appeal, In the matter of X and Y (Children: Adoption Order: Setting Aside) [2026] UKSC 13. It dismissed the adoptive mother's application that her adoption of two sisters in 2013 should be set aside on welfare grounds given the final and permanent status of an adoption order. This ruling has important ramifications for children, parents and families who are contemplating or have undergone adoption proceedings and sends a clear message about the lifelong nature of an adoption order.

30
Apr
2026

Re N (Paternity: Unregulated Sperm Donor) [2026] EWHC 878 (Fam): Joe Donor Loses Declaration Of Parentage Case

In Re N (Paternity: Unregulated Sperm Donor) [2026] EWHC 878 (Fam) the then President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, determined prolific sperm donor Mr Robert Albon's (known as Joe Donor) application for another Declaration of Parentage. This case shone a light on the risks of unregulated sperm donation. In dismissing Mr Albon's application for a Declaration of Parentage, Sir Andrew McFarlane ruled that it would be manifestly contrary to UK public policy to do so given his extensive unlicensed sperm donation and his indiscriminate and reprehensible behaviour over the last decade.

27
Apr
2026

The Surrogacy Network Relaunch 2026

Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to attend the relaunch of The Surrogacy Network on 22 April 2026. This event addressed recent UK surrogacy trends and statistics, as well as advocacy and pathways to parenthood for those individuals with Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser Syndrome (MRKH).This event brought together experts from across the UK fertility and surrogacy sector to inform and educate professionals and deliver best practice. It also highlighted the importance of raising awareness and improving support for different groups of people who experience uterine factor infertility.

23
Apr
2026

NICE Updated Fertility Guideline 2026

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attended Progress Educational Trust's event "What Does the NICE Fertility Guideline Update Mean For You?" on 15 April 2026. This followed the first comprehensive update of the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Fertility Guideline since 2013. This event looked at a range of issues including whether this will improve access and NHS funding for fertility treatment across England, the new endometriosis fertility pathway, new focus on fertility care at a primary care level, increased focus on male factor fertility and diversity and inclusion (to include transgender and non-binary individuals).

25
Mar
2026

Judge in Quebec Bans Two Men From Donating Sperm

In a legal first in Canada, a Judge in Quebec has temporarily banned two men from serially donating sperm in the province. The men in question, a father and son, have allegedly fathered at least 613 children. The injunction against the two men will remain in place until judgment is made at trial. This follows legal proceedings by a mother who accused the men of "fertility fraud" and of violating the terms of their agreement which allegedly stipulated that they would stop donating sperm after one fathered 25 children and the other had donated to 10 families, with an exception of expanding existing families.

23
Mar
2026

Legal Status of ‘Father’ & Attribution of Parental Responsibility: The Role Of Biology/Genetics

On 20 March 2026 The Court of Appeal published its ruling on three separate appeals concerning the status of 'father' and attribution of parental responsibility in Re J, M-S-K-B & P [2026] EWCA Civ 344. In all three cases, the Court was tasked with determining the legal status of the men who had been registered as 'father' on the child's birth certificate and shared parental responsibility with the mother in circumstances where this was subsequently contested.

20
Mar
2026

The Hague Conference on Private International Law Suspends Project On Cross-Border Parentage/Surrogacy Framework

The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) has announced that it is suspending its project on a cross-border parentage and surrogacy framework. This follows more than 15 years of work which sought to address "limping legal parentage" of children born in international situations and the development of an international Convention for the recognition of legal parentage across Member States.

19
Mar
2026

Sperm Motility Increases In Summer: What Does This Mean For Male Fertility?

A recent scientific study of approximately 15,000 men by the University of Manchester (England), Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada), and Cryos International (Aarhus, Denmark) has found that sperm motility (ability to swim forward) increases in summer and declines in winter regardless of seasonal changes in temperature.

13
Mar
2026

Gen Z & Fertility Anxiety

Most women Gen Z-ers (those born between 1997 and 2012) are developing fertility anxiety by age 23. That's the stark finding of a recent report by HRC Fertility. It surveyed 1,000 adults in the US and found that 72 percent of Gen Z women had age-related fertility anxiety by the time they reached age 23 and 47 percent felt under pressure to have children before reaching their thirties. However, whether their fertility anxiety is justifiable requires a nuanced understanding of underlying issues.

27
Feb
2026

The French Government Set to Write To All 29 Year-Olds To Remind Them To Have Children

The French government's recent announcement that it intends to write to all 29 year-olds to remind them to have children is a sign of the times. It follows the launch in February 2026 of a National Plan to combat France's falling birth rates and news that French mortality rates outnumbered births last year for the first time since the end of World War II.

26
Feb
2026

First British Baby Born Following A UK Womb Transplant From A Deceased Donor

This week came news that the first British baby has been born following a womb transplant from a deceased donor. The BBC reports that a further 5 UK living womb transplants are planned involving close relatives.

11
Jan
2026

Transgender Parenting & Children Law: FZ v MZ & FZ v Y Council [2025]

FZ v MZ & FZ v Y Council [2025] EWHC 3338 (Fam) highlights complex legal issues transgender individuals face obtaining parental status and birth registration under English law, sometimes leaving them without automatic rights.

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