Posthumous Use of Gametes and Embryos

Posthumous Use of Gametes and Embryos

Accredited Family Law Specialist and Page Provan Director Stephen Page presented a paper at the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference on the posthumous use of gametes and embryos.

Posthumous use falls into one of two categories:

  • Retrieval
  • Use

A dear American colleague has suggested that surrogacy lawyers have one of three roles:

  • An architect – who plans the whole journey.
  • A pilot – when the intended parents know where they want to go – and want to get there fast.
  • A cleaner – cleaning up other people’s messes.

These comments are apt about the role of a lawyer in posthumous cases, too. If it appears that death is on the horizon, engaging a lawyer early can make the posthumous use process for the grieving widow quicker, simpler and cheaper.

Conversely, retrieving sperm posthumously can lead to difficulties, which a lawyer seeks to clean up in the most trying of circumstances.

DOWNLOAD THE PAPER HERE.

 

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Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board