Category: Donor conception law

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25
Jul
2025

Blog, Donor conception law, Modern family law, Parenting law

A Cautionary Tale About Informal Sperm Donation: P v Q & F (Child: Legal Parentage) [2024]

The 2024 cases P v Q and Others [2024] EWFC and of P v Q and F (Child: Legal Parentage) [2024] 85 EWCA Civ 878 highlight a series of complex legal issues related to parenthood, parental responsibility and birth registration for lesbian families conceiving with donor sperm. It involved an intricate legal dispute about the child’s legal parentage and the circumstances of a privately arranged conception; specifically whether it took place by artificial insemination or natural conception, that reached the Court of Appeal. It brings into focus the challenges of donor conception outside of a fertility clinic and ensuing difficulties navigating legal proceedings for a Declaration of Parentage in light of entangled disputes after a relationship breakdown.

25
Feb
2025

Blog, Donor conception law, fertility law, Modern family law

Declaration of Parentage: Resolving Birth Registration, Parental Status & Identity

We are currently seeing heightened levels of uncertainty and change around the world, ranging from economic challenges to seismic shifts in geopolitics and rapid developments in artificial intelligence, on-demand digital technology, genetics and DNA testing, precision healthcare and assisted reproduction. These can impact all stages of the life cycle from pre-conception through pregnancy, birth, family life and end-of-life care. This evolving landscape can create complex issues about family formation, personal identity, birth registration, legal and biological parenthood, genetic and health issues and relationships with family and relatives. In turn, this can require effective legal strategies to address issues about personal identity, genetic testing, legal and biological parentage, birth registration and family dynamics.

20
Feb
2025

Blog, Donor conception law, Modern family law

Judicial Warning & Naming 0f Serial Sperm Donor ‘Who Fathered 180 Children’

In a recently published family law case In the Matter of D [2023] EWFC 333, His Honour Judge Jonathan Furness KC took the unusual step to publicly name a serial sperm donor and warn the public and vulnerable women seeking to get pregnant of the dangers of unregulated private sperm donation. This followed a highly contested 2-year legal battle, described as a 'nightmare' and 'horror story', between a female same-sex couple and a prolific sperm donor who applied to court to be named on the child's birth certificate, obtain parental responsibility and contact with the child.

23
Dec
2024

Blog, Donor conception law, Louisa Ghevaert, Modern family law

Secret Sperm Donation & The Early Years of UK IVF

An article in The Telegraph (1) on 20 December 2024 has reported concerns by two individuals about early UK fertility clinic practices, having recently discovered that they share the same secret sperm donor; a scientist in charge of the laboratory in the 1970's on the floor above UK IVF pioneer Patrick Steptoe's clinic at Oldham Hospital. Fifty years on, this has come to light after both individuals registered for DNA tests on Ancestry.com, reportedly raising concerns about whether their mothers were unknowingly impregnated without their consent with donor sperm.

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