In BC, there is a bright line on parentage between children conceived through sexual intercourse and those conceived through assisted reproduction (anything other than sexual intercourse, for example donor insemination, IVF). In BC, the Family Law Act says if a child is conceived through assisted reproduction, a donor is not a legal parent unless they […]

Many couples assume that if they have stored sperm, ova (eggs) or embryos at a fertility clinic, if one of them died, the other could automatically use those to conceive a child. Is that true? No – Canada’s Assisted Human Reproduction Act, and the Assisted Human Reproduction (Section 8 Consent) Regulations have very specific requirements […]

Most intended parents and surrogates talk through a lot of issues before they make the decision to embark on the surrogacy process together, and long before either goes to a lawyer about drawing up the Surrogacy Agreement. In some ways, a Surrogacy Agreement is a communication tool. Putting everyone’s intentions in black and white, in […]

What are the options for a woman who wants to be a mom but who is in a romantic relationship with someone who doesn’t want a child? She can wait around and hope her partner changes his or her mind. That might work if she is 25 to 30 years old. If she is 35 […]

Surrogacy is one option for people who want to have children but could not otherwise. BC’s new Family Law Act now has written rules to clarify who the parents are when a surrogate helps a couple or individual have a child in BC. Surrogates may be used where a woman cannot carry a child herself, […]

BC’s Family Law Act defines who legal parents are when a sperm donor, egg donor or embryo donor is used. BC’s new Family Law Act sets rules about parentage when children are conceived using assisted reproduction (any form of conception other than sexual intercourse). The Act sets out three important guidelines for determining legal parentage […]