Frozen embryo custody disputes

Topic

Frozen embryo custody disputes are legal and ethical conflicts that arise when couples who have undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF) separate or divorce and disagree on the disposition of their cryopreserved embryos. Courts typically resolve these disputes using contractual, balancing, or contemporaneous mutual consent approaches to weigh one partner's right to procreate against the other's right not to be forced into parenthood. Because federal laws are largely absent, the legal status of frozen embryos varies significantly by state, often straddling the line between property law and personhood.