Deciding to expand your family is a big decision. Imagining creating another person who has a little bit of you and a little bit of your spouse in them is a beautiful feeling.
You’ve prepared yourself for this moment by having some embryos frozen to use when the timing was right and you were ready.
Finally, you decide to go through with the IVF process and it’s successful. You give birth to a healthy baby, only to find out that the child is not biologically yours!
Wait, what! How is that even possible?
Imagine your shock as parents and the emotional turmoil that has now been left behind due to this disastrous mistake.
This has happened more times than we’ve wanted to see. Specifically, this happened to one couple in Southern California. The couple alleged that the fertility clinic they used had mixed up two embryos which resulted in them being planted into the wrong women. Both women carried to full-term. A few months after giving birth, the couple noticed that the child did not look anything like them or their older child.
A DNA test was performed which verified the child wasn’t biologically related to them, leaving the couple emotionally traumatized. Both mothers are struggling with this unthinkable mistake while trying to wrap their mind around the fact that they carried another person’s child to term, bonded with them and then had to give the child to the correct parent. A lawsuit has been filed against the fertility clinic for the mishandling and misuse of the embryos.
So how can you protect yourself from something like this? By knowing your rights!
Why Choosing an Experienced Reproductive Rights Attorney Is Important
As technology advances in today’s society in medicine, the possibility of people with fertility challenges or even older people can become pregnant and give birth by using fertility clinics has increased. But unfortunately, just as in any other medical field, specialists and/or their staff can make mistakes that can be preventable.
It’s so critical to make sure you know your rights whether you are considering going through assisted reproductive technology (ART), need help with adoption, surrogacy, or have another family law issue related to reproduction, a reproductive attorney can provide guidance and support.
So, what exactly does a reproductive attorney do?
Some of the things a fertility attorney can do is:
- Create and review specifics of a contract between you and the fertility clinic, donor or surrogate which states specific your wishes and agreement;
- Guide you through the process and answer all your questions making the process run as smoothly as possible;
- Protect your rights if negligence or loss should occur;
- Protect the rights of your unborn child.
The fact is, it only takes one mistake to ruin a family’s hopes for a child. Being prepared before you get started in the process about what may or may not occur is essential.
Speaking with an experienced reproductive rights attorney is the first step to ensure security and give your peace of mind needed during an assisted reproduction transaction reassuring that things are accurately in place to protect you and your unborn child.
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