Category: Legal Parentage

Filter by category

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.

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.

In the News

X updates

Follow Louisa on X for latest industry updates

Articles & Publications

The latest news on fertility and modern family law

News & Commentary

Louisa discusses her opinion on different topics