When the arrangement is properly documented and completed in compliance with applicable law, embryo donors typically do not retain parental rights or obligations toward any child born from the donated embryos.

The strength of these protections depends on several factors, including the state involved, the quality of the legal drafting, compliance with clinic and statutory requirements, and whether each party had independent legal counsel. Agreements signed without separate counsel are more vulnerable to challenge, which is one reason clinics and matching programs increasingly require it as a condition of treatment.