What Sofia Vergara's Case Reveals About IVF's Legal Gray Areas

Couples who create IVF embryos together should consider hiring lawyers before beginning the fertility treatment process, according to reproductive law experts. While unpleasant, much like a prenup, the process can help avoid a messy, complicated legal battle like the “custody” lawsuit against actress Sofia Vergara by her ex-fiancé, Nick Loeb. Few couples take this extra step before attempting IVF. But Vergara and Loeb’s case underscores the need for conscientious couples to prepare for every potential future scenario, no matter how unlikely, said San Diego-based surrogacy lawyer Stephanie Caballero.  Couples already sign consent forms that detail how an IVF lab should distribute embryos in cases of death, divorce and other scenarios, but those forms are an agreement between two parties: the couple and the IVF clinic, not between the partners themselves, explained Caballero, an executive board member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s legal professional group.  Couples who want to guard against any future ambiguity should also hire individual lawyers to hammer out an agreement between themselves, she says. Caballero estimates that hiring lawyers for each partner would add $1,300 to $1,500 to the total cost of IVF, which averages $12,400.   “Would it cost you an extra $1,000 to hire a separate attorney? Yes. One would draft, and the other would review it with [you],” said Caballero, who is...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news