Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

National Rainbow Baby Day 2025

This year National Rainbow Baby Day takes place on 22 August 2025. A ‘Rainbow Baby’ is a child born after a family loses a baby and this special child is often seen a symbol of new hope for a family that has experienced such traumatic loss. Established in 2018, National Rainbow Baby Day honours those babies lost to stillbirth, miscarriage, complications during pregnancy or following birth, all the while celebrating the Rainbow Babies who bring such joy to the lives of their family and parents. National Rainbow Baby Day is an opportunity for families to reflect on their children, those who are with them physically, and those who will forever be with them in spirit.

The Risks of Unregulated Sperm Donation: Serial Sperm Donor Joe Donor

The recent case of Re CA and Ors (Children of Unregulated Sperm Donor) [2025] EWFC 130 brings into focus the threats posed by unregulated sperm donation, specifically at the hand of serial sperm donor known as ‘Joe Donor’. In this case, Mr Justice Poole determines whether ‘Joe Donor’ – officially named Robert Albon – has any rights to a Declaration of Parentage, a Parental Responsibility Order and a Child Arrangements Order for two of the possible 180 children he has fathered. The case also brings to light the vulnerabilities of the two children’s mothers and raises concerns about exploitation and abuse that can accompany informal sperm donation, and what this means for the best interests of the children involved.

F v J & Others [2024] and the Pitfalls of Mismatched Expectations, Rushed Known Sperm Donation and Co-Parenting Arrangements

F v J & Others [2024[ EWHC 2802 (Fam) is a case which deals with the realities and challenges of co-parenting and highlights the complexities of known sperm donation - how it should be approached with great care and proactive management of the legal aspects which underpin these family building arrangements. Specifically, it raises issues of legal parentage in the context of known sperm donation and assisted reproduction, and what can happen when this process is rushed or hurried. Additionally, this case raises concerns around communication in co-parenting relationships, and stresses the importance of the stability of those relationships, both for the benefit of the parents, and for the wellbeing of the child.

National Surrogacy Week 2025

National Surrogacy Week takes place in the UK from 1 - 7 August 2025. Its aim is to raise awareness and understanding about surrogacy. It's also a time to highlight the positive impact of surrogacy, to support open, honest and positive communication and promote ethical practices and policies for professionals and families created through surrogacy. Similarly, it is a time to celebrate the medical advancements which enable parents to create their families through fertility treatment and surrogacy and reflect on just how far surrogacy in the UK has come since the landmark ‘Baby Cotton’ case in 1985. This rise in the popularity of surrogacy also reflects the recognition of surrogacy as a mainstream family building option for prospective parents, and the willingness of the surrogates themselves to help others have much wanted children.

In the News

X updates

Follow Louisa on X for latest industry updates

Our latest news

Read our news on fertility & modern family law

Our blog

Louisa discusses her opinion on different topics