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20
May
2025

Blog, Donor conception law, International Surrogacy Law, Louisa Ghevaert, Modern Family Law, News, Surrogacy Law

Growing Families UK & EU Surrogacy & Donor Conception Conference 2025

On 10 May 2025 Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to attend the Growing Families UK and EU Surrogacy and Donor Conception Conference 2025, together with and an industry professional networking event on 9 May 2025 in London. This conference brought together fertility, surrogacy agency, academic and legal experts from around the world, as well as past and present intended parents building families through fertility treatment, international surrogacy and donor conception. It shone a light on current surrogacy and donor conception laws, trends and practices. It also provided insight into current medical, legal, ethical, financial and practical aspects associated with these forms of family building.

02
May
2025

Blog, International Surrogacy Law, News, Surrogacy Law

Spain Cracks Down on International Surrogacy

The Spanish government has this week (1 May 2025) cracked down on international surrogacy and banned embassies and consulates from registering children born through foreign surrogacy arrangements. Whilst surrogacy is prohibited in Spain, Spanish intended parents previously got round this by entering into international surrogacy arrangements and then registering their surrogate born child abroad with the help of foreign court rulings (e.g. from the US or Canada) recognizing them as their baby's parents. Diplomats had accepted foreign court rulings and authorised the child's registration in the Spanish Civil Registry, but this has now changed following a legal ruling by Spain's Supreme Court in December 2024 which determined that this procedure was illegal.

09
Apr
2025

Blog, International Surrogacy Law, Surrogacy Law

International Surrogacy Law Update 2025

Developments in the international surrogacy space continue to evolve rapidly. There have been multiple changes to international surrogacy law and policy in recent months. These changes have taken place in Argentina, Italy, the US and Greece. Overall, rapid developments in global politics, laws and policies make it critical for intended parents to proactively manage the associated legal issues. Prospective parents must be vigilant about the risks and ensure they have a viable legal and practical action plan before embarking upon an international surrogacy journey and consult an expert international surrogacy lawyer.

04
Apr
2025

Blog, Louisa Ghevaert, News

WEALTH: Women In Health

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend the launch event of WEALTH: Women In Health in partnership with Covington & Burling LLP on 2 April 2025. Its aim is to build a powerful community of women across the full value chain of health and investment to advance the health, wealth and position of women in the world. WEALTH was created because whilst women drive approximately 80% of major healthcare decisions, women are underrepresented and underserved across the industry and this needs to change. Female founders face significant barriers to innovation, with women-led startups across Europe and the U.S. receiving just 2% of venture capital funding. There is also still little funding available for female reproductive health and unconscious bias which lies deep in society in the home, workplace and at a political level which holds women back.

02
Apr
2025

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Is Fertility Treatment A Solution To Population Decline?

Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to attend Progress Educational Trust's event "Is Fertility Treatment A Solution To Population Decline?" on 26 March 2025. Fertility is continuing to decline across the globe and birth rates are steadily falling. Fertility rates are now at the lowest in the UK since World War II. As such, this event looked at a range of factors influencing declining global fertility and birth rates and debated whether fertility treatment can bridge the gap and solve population decline. It also shone a light on the need for the UK to have better policies from a fertility perspective with more impact as a number of issues are not addressed in the workplace and this is affecting women's decisions to have children.

31
Mar
2025

Blog

Genetic Testing Firm 23andMe Files For Bankruptcy: What Does This Mean For Me?

On 23 March 2025 came news that genetic testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy following financial difficulties and concerns about data privacy. 23andMe started in 2006 and went public in 2021. However, it never made a profit. It struggled to convert customers who purchased its core product, an at-home DNA testing kit, into subscribers offering personalised feedback and wellness plans. In 2023, 23andMe was hacked affecting the personal data of 7 million users, resulting in a reported $30 million settlement bill. Then in 2024, it let go of forty percent of its workforce and stopped the development of its research and development programmes. Its recent decision to file for bankruptcy is aimed at procuring a sale. However, it leaves its 15 million users around the world questioning what will happen to their genetic data?

21
Mar
2025

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Ethica Fertility Launch Event

Louisa Ghevaert had the pleasure of celebrating the Ethica Fertility launch event on 20 March 2025 at Barnby Street in London with other dedicated professionals in the fertility and family building space. Ethica Fertility's mission is to offer an innovative, more personalised approach to fertility care and reproductive health. Louisa was delighted to meet the team at Ethica Fertility, take a tour of their state of the art clinic facilities and learn more about their holistic approach to assisted conception and patient centric care. Ethica Fertility seeks to redefine fertility care and make fertility care more inclusive, effective and supportive, leading to better outcomes for patients no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation or family structure.

12
Mar
2025

Assisted Reproduction Law, Blog, Fertility Law, Genomics, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Epigenetics In Human Reproduction

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend the Nuffield Council on Bioethics workshop “Epigenetics in human reproduction” in central London on 11 March 2025. This event looked at the use and implications of epigenetics in human reproduction. It considered the inter-relationships between the reproductive environment, the epigenome, long-term health and assisted reproductive technologies. It went on to explore current and future scientific applications, ethical, legal and social implications. In doing so, it explored all sorts of important and complex questions and issues. How do you measure or control the environment? How effective may an intervention be and at what stage to optimise health, pregnancy and birth? How do you account for epigenetic responses (mechanisms that regulate gene expression without changing the DNA sequence) that differ between people? How reliable is epigenetic testing? How can you provide effective messaging? How do you address these issues from a policy perspective?

07
Mar
2025

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Lessons To Be Learned By The Fertility Sector From the Infected Blood Scandal & Inquiry

Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to attend a Progress Educational Trust Event on 26 February 2025 "What Can The Fertility Sector Learn From The Infected Blood Scandal And Inquiry?". The Contaminated Blood Scandal was one of the worst health scandals in the UK from the 1970s - 1990s, resulting in thousands of deaths from infected blood transfusions and blood products. This event looked at the similarities between fertility (eggs, sperm and embryos) and blood, the findings of the Infected Blood Inquiry in the UK and the lessons to be learned across the fertility sector to ensure optimum patient safety and care. Given rapid advances in reproductive medicine and growing demand fro fertility treatment, it is more important than ever to maximise reproductive choice, optimise care and protections and make informed decisions about pathways to parenthood.

03
Mar
2025

Blog, Genomics

Can Genetics Impact Fertility?

A medical study in the last year has found that genetic defects affect half of all infertility cases.(1) This brings into focus the significance of genetics for family building purposes in terms of fertility, conception, pregnancy and birth (and not just from a disease and health perspective). This can make it important to consider a range of genetic, medical and legal questions with geneticists, clinical and legal professionals. Should I undergo genetic testing to see if I might have difficulties with pregnancy or pass a genetic disorder on to my child? Should I undergo genetic counselling before conception? Should I get my embryos genetically screened before implantation? Should I undergo fertility preservation treatment? How can I maximise my chances of successful conception, birth or family completion? How can I maximise my prospects of having a genetically related child? Should I undergo prenatal testing? How can I legally protect my stored eggs, sperm and embryos? How can I successfully navigate fertility treatment law in the UK? What will happen to my stored eggs, sperm or embryos and my genetic legacy if I die?

25
Feb
2025

Blog, Declaration of Parentage, Donor conception law, Fertility Law, Legal Parentage, 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, Declaration of Parentage, Donor conception law, Fertility Law, Legal Parentage, Modern Family Law, Parental Responsibility Law, Parenting 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.

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