Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

Declining Global Fertility Rates: A Growing Problem

The global decline in fertility rates needs to be addressed according to an International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) consensus paper published in Human Reproduction Update on 10 January 2024. It reports that half the countries around the world have a fertility rate below population replacement level. It goes on to predict that many countries will experience population decline of more than 50 percent between 2017 and 2100, leading to serious demographic changes and implications for societies around the world. As such, there needs to be greater focus on the human right to have a family, family-friendly policies and better access to fertility care.

Posthumous Conception Law: Should I Consider This?

Individual fertility is precious and fragile, making it worthy of protection in life and after death. A person's individual fertility enables the conception of a biological child. However, their fertility is impacted by age, health, declining fertility rates, personal circumstances, unexpected accident and death. The death of a loved one can be devastating for surviving partners, spouses and relatives. It can also create complex issues in seeking to fulfill a deceased loved one’s family building wishes and preserve their biological and genetic legacy. As such, it is important to proactively consider and actively protect individual fertility and biological legacy and not leave this to chance.

Declaration Of Parentage: Will This Resolve My Personal Identity, Legal And Biological Parenthood?

Questions about personal identity, legal and biological parenthood and birth certificates can arise in different ways and create all sorts of complex issues. In some cases, they can come about because of personal searches and histories involving absent parents, adoption and donor conception. For others, unexpected discoveries and issues can arise following a direct-to-consumer DNA test, death of a relative, conversation with a family member, an encounter with a genetic relative or an application for a new birth certificate or passport. This can in turn necessitate a court application for a Declaration of Parentage.

Fertility Law Reform In The UK: How Much Change Do We Want?

On 6 December 2023, Progress Educational Trust held its excellent Annual Conference "How Much Change Do We Want? Updating Fertility Embryo And Surrogacy Law". The conference offered fascinating insight into the origins and history of fertility law in the UK, its evolution over time and the challenges we face moving forward given ongoing rapid developments in science, medicine and assisted reproductive technology.

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