Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies

By Alton L. Abramowitz
July 01, 2016

They say “it takes a village to raise a child.” In the ever-proliferating world of third-party reproduction through the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), it takes a village to make a child too. Third-party reproduction involves the use of ART techniques such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or artificial insemination, an intended parent or parents, and either an egg donor, a sperm donor, or gestational carrier (surrogate) (or some combination of the three), whose relationship with the intended parents is ideally codified in an enforceable agreement. Achieving parenthood by way of this process requires a unique confluence of collaborating parties and myriad professionals with expertise in a vast array of disciplines, all united by the common goals of producing a healthy child, while securing the legal parentage of that child for the intended parents.

As with any complex transaction, despite their common goals, each of the third-party collaborating participants has coextensive individual interests, many of which inherently conflict with one another and/or require and deserve unique consideration so as to avoid an otherwise significant potential for litigation, particularly in the event of divorce.

We discuss herein the dovetailing medical, legal and ethical issues, in conjunction with the vulnerabilities attendant to the team-based approach to achieving parenthood through ART. We also explore some of the issues confronted as the definition of the family evolves due to increasing usage of ART and collaborative reproduction, and ways of ensuring that clients understand the material risks associated with the high-stakes contractual relationships of third-party reproduction, mitigating potential pitfalls and managing inherent conflicts. The article concludes with a consideration of adopting aspects of the Collaborative Divorce Model to help bridge gaps where traditional rules of professional conduct and ethics codes provide insufficient direction to account for the non-traditional family building through advances in technology.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

"Holy Fair Use, Batman": Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark Knight Image

The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We'll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.