Creating a Family
Are you considering having a child with the help of a surrogate, an egg donor or a sperm donor? Are you considering helping someone to have a child by being a surrogate, or donating eggs or sperm? Do you already have frozen embryos, and are considering donating them? It is important for you to safeguard your rights and responsibilities in any of these situations. We can help to guide you through the law, including entering into the necessary agreements to protect your parental rights.
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There are many different situations where people may need help in having a child. Here are some typical examples.
Single Persons
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Any single person, female or male, who wants to have a child and to remain single may use Assisted Reproduction Technology. For example, a single woman may choose to conceive using a sperm donor, while a single man may choose to have a child using an egg donor and a surrogate.
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Couples – Opposite Sex
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A couple may experience problems having a child if either one or both has a fertility issue, and they may seek out a sperm or ova donor. An opposite-sex couple can also have trouble conceiving if either one or both is transgender. Couples who have discovered that the intended mother cannot carry a pregnancy to term may need to use the services of a surrogate. Some people are also wiling to donate their left over embryos.
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Couples – Same Sex
Although same-sex couples may not suffer from a medical fertility issue, they are generally unable to conceive without assistance. This is sometimes referred to as social infertility. Same-sex couples of either sex are able to use Assisted Reproduction Technology. For example, a lesbian couple may choose to conceive using a sperm donor and a gay couple may choose to have a child using an egg donor and a surrogate.
ABOUT US
Our experienced family lawyers can guide those seeking to build their own families through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) or adoption. Whether you are a prospective parent, a donor, or a surrogate, we can help protect your rights while helping your realize your Great Expectations.
We believe that access to reproductive technology is a human rights issue that affects many Canadians. Committed to helping people create their families, we advocate for them in coping with the problems that exist in the current legal system. Both of us regularly appear in the Ottawa Superior Court of Justice (Family Court).
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We are sole practitioners practising in a “virtual association”, with our own individual offices located in Ottawa. We are not partners under the Partnerships Act, so liability is not “joint and several”. This means that if you hire one of us, liability is limited solely to that lawyer.