Southern California Family Law Attorney Blog

In situations where a woman cannot conceive, or is in a relationship with another woman, she may choose to use a sperm donor to become pregnant. At the time of the procedure, she may not be thinking of the future and a time when the father may decide he wants to assert his parental rights and obtain some sort of visitation or custody, but a recent court case involving a famous Hollywood couple has recently brought the issue to the state Capitol.

The couple was involved in a relationship when the little boy was conceived, although their stories differ on how they planned to raise him. According to the mother, she planned to raise the boy on her own, while the father’s representative claims he wanted to be involved in the parenting process. The child was conceived through a medical procedure using the father’s sperm.

Opponents of the bill are concerned about how the results could affect those who use a sperm donor anonymously, and feel the father is simply angry about a court ruling he lost. The issue may be further complicated by a bill regarding the rights of gay and lesbian parents when children are conceived by sperm donation.

The author or the bill feels it was taken out of context, and that the new bill will clarify the details in regards to children conceived through sperm donation. Regardless of the legislation, the father seems determined to see his son, whom he claims he loves. An advocate of the father’s claims he at least deserves the consideration to be a father.

Source: The Fresno Bee, "Sperm donor or dad? California lawmakers consider the question," Laurel Rosenhall, June 29, 2013