Embryo Donation—A New Form of Adoption

For many who want to adopt, the desire is that the child feel like he or she really belongs to the family. With the advances of modern technology, a new process—embryo adoption—has evolved, allowing a woman to carry and give birth to an embryo donated by another person.

In the embryo donation process, couples who have participated in in vitro fertilization donate a remaining embryo to a third party female. The embryo is then placed in the uterus of the recipient, and the recipient carries the child to birth. Embryo donation is typically anonymous and without compensation. The child born is considered to be the legal offspring of the woman who gave birth.

According to industry spokespersons, extra embryos are a common occurrence in in vitro fertilizations. Donors are typically faced with options—keep their embryos (frozen) and pay a storage fee, give them to research, allow them to be disposed of, or, as more people are choosing, make them available to other prospective parents.

As part of the process, most agencies involved in embryo adoptions allow donors to make genetic information available to prospective donees. After physical and psychological testing, embryos are exchanged and the recipients pay for any medical costs. Some agencies allow the donors to select or reject recipients. Home studies are typically required.

Contact Adoption Attorneys Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC

At the law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, our lawyers bring more than 25 years of experience to every matter we handle. Attorney Donald C. Cofsky has personally handled more than 1,500 adoption proceedings since joining the bar in 1974. Attorney Bruce D. Zeidman has protected the interests of clients in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1984. We understand the challenges you face, and can help you identify all your options so that you can make good decisions that are in your best long-term interests.

Contact our office online or call us at (856) 429-5005 in Haddonfield, NJ, at (856) 845-2555 in Woodbury, NJ, or in Philadelphia, PA, at (215) 563-2150.