Obviously this story is all over the newspapers here today, and we had a debate about it in work today, so i thought us adbritters could too...

If a couple agree to fertilise her eggs for re implantation at a later date but split up, who do they belong to?

I think they are the Womans property....

How about you?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770

I think this is the link to the story ( forgive me if i'm wrong!)

Why do you think they are the womans property?? A fertilised egg is almost surely 50/50 split of male and female makeup, one alone can't do the job.

I can understand the womans feelings about this being the only chance of her to have a baby (due to her cancer treatment) but even if the couple had still been together and had gone on to the next stages of the proceedings, ie implantation and the hope that the pregnancy would progress, the chances are not 100%, so she still might not have ever had children.

IMO I think the decsion that was made was the right one. What is sad, is that she didn't think of just having HER eggs frozen and then she could have perhaps gone down the sperm donor route.........

if it had gone ahead and had the little one.. would she put in for child maintenance ??????

I think they belong to the woman because she has no other avenue to become a mother now, and if the eggs were inside and not outside her body it would be highly likely she would have become pregnant. He decided at that time he wanted her to be the mother of his child(ren) so he fertilised her eggs.... joint decision, am i right?
many couples split up and many parents desert their offspring. many children are the result of 1 night stands, rapes, etc etc... This women was in a relationship where the 2 of them decided to try to produce a baby, why has the fact that he has decided 'nah' prevented her from fulfilling that task?
Why would she have even contemplated having JUST her eggs frozen? She was in a loving relationship at the time and wanted HIS baby, as he did hers..... Lucky he still has that privilige to choose another 'recipient'.

Not as succesful at surviving freezing and defrosting as fertilised embryos I believe.

Wouldn't like to comment on rights and wrongs, it is very difficult. and yes, as the law stands I believe she has every right to claim child maintenance from him if a baby were to result, even though he doesn't want the child.

edit: shocking speling :P

Prior to treatment, each member of the couple must declare what is to happen to the eggs in the event of death or in splitting up. Clearly, these decisions hold no weight.

There is another court case ongoing, of a woman who wants to the use the eggs fertilised by her deceased partner. The powers that be want to have the eggs destroyed - although this might be due to the 10yr period expiring (10yrs is the max time that eggs can be stored).

Maintenance issues could easily be addressed through contract, but IMO, if he does not want the eggs used, then she should be prevented from using them.

I feel sorrow for the woman, but unfortunately, life is not always kind, and she does still have the option of using donated eggs.

BTW - quite a difference in appearance of the fella after 5 years.