Presentation to City Fertility Centre, Melbourne

A couple of weeks ago,I had the privilege to present to City Fertility Centre, Melbourne, about fertility law issues, including egg and sperm donation and surrogacy.

The setting was especially apt. Earlier in the day I had appeared in the County Court of Victoria, and had obtained a substitute parentage order for my clients, who were the intended parents under a surrogacy arrangement. My clients had gone to India in 2012- after changes had been set out by the Indian government, and paid many thousands of dollars having their embryos frozen- but at a time when the doctor knew or ought reasonably to have known that nothing could be done with those embryos other than freezing them.

When my clients first approached me, I was of the opinion in all likelihood there was probably little that they could do about their frozen embryos (unfortunately I was right), and that they should start again- this time with a domestic surrogacy arrangement. They did so- and in the process became the first surrogacy arrangement through to completion by City Fertility Centre in Melbourne.

That arrangement had a few minor bumps ont he way, but overall went through very smoothly.

So following that court appearance, it was over to City Fertility Centre to present, for what I was told was for an hour. Well, that was the plan. Instead, I was asked so many questions by an incredibly enthusiastic audience, that I stopped speaking- exhausted- 2 1/4 hours later! I talked about the usual suspects- surrogacy, and egg and sperm donation, and the laws and practices concerning each. I gave practical examples about how when others thought that my clients would not be able to become parents, I was able to guide them through the legal maze and enable them to become parents.

A wholly satisfying day!