Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

Plans to extend legal storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos

On 6 September 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care announced its proposal to extend legal storage limits for eggs, sperm and embryos in the UK for everyone, regardless of medical need, to 10-year renewable storage periods, with a maximum limit of 55 years. The proposed legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

The International Family Law Practice Sixth Edition

Louisa Ghevaert is delighted to contribute a specialist chapter on surrogacy law to leading practitioner textbook The International Family Law Practice Sixth Edition 2021. This newly updated reference work provides comprehensive coverage of the international elements of English Family Law and relevant source material. Increasing globalisation and international movement of parents, children and families, combined with rapid changes and legal developments means that complex international legal and practical issues frequently arise in practice.

Donor sperm DNA ancestry information available at California Cryobank

Generate Life Sciences has recently announced that it will now in a first-of-its-kind service provide DNA-based donor ancestry information at its donor sperm bank, California Cryobank, directly to would-be parents and donor-conceived children. Prospective parents, including international clients in the UK, Australia, Canada and others, will be able to access DNA ancestry test results before selecting a sperm donor. Donor-conceived children will also be able to access this information to learn more about their genetic heritage.

Future trends: egg and sperm banks

The World Egg Bank has just published (August 2021) an industry report looking at how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected egg and sperm banks over the last 12 – 16 months. It explores three key issues: (1) what does the near-term hold for intended parents seeking donor eggs or sperm? (2) how have health and economic trends during the Covid-19 pandemic affected egg and sperm bank services? (3) how can intended parents and healthcare providers navigate the ongoing uncertainty and potential disruption caused by Covid-19 in the coming months?

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