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posted by LaminatorX on Wednesday July 15 2015, @09:25PM   Printer-friendly
from the irreconcilable-differences dept.

A court battle between a divorced couple over the future of their frozen embryos began Monday with an attorney for the former husband accusing the woman of using the dispute to get money.

Dr. Mimi Lee, 46, a pianist and part-time anesthesiologist, married Stephen Findley, a wealthy executive, five years ago. Shortly before the wedding, Lee learned she had breast cancer.

Unsure whether the disease would make it impossible for her to have children, the couple went to a fertility center, where Lee's eggs and Findley's sperm created five embryos, now frozen.

Findley filed for divorce two years ago and wants the embryos destroyed. Lee, now infertile, wants to implant the embryos into a surrogate and have a baby. Without the embryos, she will never have a child who shares her genes.

If the embryos are implanted and carry to term, the ex-husband becomes a father without consent. If the embryos are destroyed, the ex-wife is denied the deep need to procreate. The embryos themselves have issues either way. Modern biomedical ethics are complex.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 16 2015, @10:15PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 16 2015, @10:15PM (#210193)

    Lee has said she would waive any future child support from Findley and rear a child alone. But Whittier Law School’s Daar said that waiver “has no legal meaning.”

    Findley is just being a dick. He is almost guaranteed that he will not have to pay child support, even without his ex-wife's consent. For starters, even if they were still together, they probably would have to adopt their own child. (Depending on the jurisdiction, of course) And if they were not found fit, the surrogate could end up with the child. With Findley out of the picture, Lee would adopt her own child by herself, and since she adopted while she was single, Findley is off the hook.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @11:40AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 18 2015, @11:40AM (#210750)

    Now IANAL, but you said "even if they were still together, they probably would have to adopt their own child. (Depending on the jurisdiction, of course)" as she would be using a surrogate, however they key words are "Depending on the jurisdiction". Do you not think as Lee so desperately wants to have her own child she might ensure the surrogacy happens in a jurisdiction where that won't be an issue for her?