A 47-year-old man recently won a court battle protecting him from financial responsibilities associated with children who were conceived through in vitro fertilization with his sperm. This child support case had been going through the court system for the past four years.
When looking at what happened, the man and woman met in 1991 when they lived in the same apartment complex. Ten years later the woman moved out of state. However, years later he did provide the sperm to be use for the woman’s in vitro fertilization.
Triplets were born in 2007 and the man signed a declaration of paternity and was listed as their father on their birth certificates. Sadly, less than one year later, one of the triplets passed away.
Then, in 2008 — after already marrying someone else — the man learned he was being sued for unpaid child support. While the case was pending, he was also ordered to pay child support.
In October 2010, the courts did note rule in his favor, and it was determined that he would have to continue to pay child support for the two kids. However, not happy with this ruling, the man appealed. In that appeal, the courts recognized the fact that in the state, women can receive sperm from a medical facility without having to worry about the donor of that sperm later coming back and filing a paternity action.
With this most recent ruling, the lower court’s decision has been overturned, and even though the man had paid thousands of dollars since 2008, he no longer is financially responsible for the children who were conceived through in vitro fertilization.
Source: The Associated Press, “California court reverse ruling that Texas sperm donor owes child support,” April 11, 2012
