Embryo Disposition Agreements - New York
Once your family-building plans are complete or your fertility struggles are resolved following IVF, you may find yourself with remaining frozen embryos, and no clear plan of what to do with them. Or maybe you initially created embryos as a couple with a joint intention of becoming parents, but now find yourselves heading down different paths.
Agency consents may not be enough to legally-secure your intentions, and often decisions reflected in consent forms signed in haste and under emotional circumstances at your IVF clinic don't fully flesh out a party's true and current intent, years later. New York Law gives parties the ability to enter into Embryo Disposition Agreements which clearly outline what should be done with preserved embryos, including in the event of death, divorce or uncoupling.
Additionally, an Embryo Disposition Agreement can be used to clarify parental rights in the event that one partner wants to use embryos alone, with the other's consent but without automatically conferring parentage upon the other partner. One can now, through such an agreement, allow for their partner or former spouse to use created embryos to try to fulfill their desire to become a parent, while legally divesting themselves of any rights and obligations towards any child who will be born as a result despite the genetic connection, should they so choose.
Contact the Law Office of Jennifer P. Maas, PLLC, where a lawyer licensed in New York can discuss your options and work with you to create an Embryo Disposition Agreement that reflects your clear intent.