Adoption / American Bar Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Law / Fertility Services / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / LGBT News / Rich Vaughn Article

AAARTA Conference Offers Global Perspective on ART Law

Earlier this month I attended the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys (AAARTA) and American Academy of Adoption Attorneys Mid-Year Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The conference, entitled “A…

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November 20, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Law / Intended Parents / Reproductive Laws / Rich Vaughn Article

Change in China’s One-Child Policy Likely Means More ART Babies

With the relaxing of China's one-child policy, the number of Chinese intended parents coming to the U.S. to create families via assisted reproductive technology is likely to increase.

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November 15, 2013

LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

State That Launched Movement Passes Same-Sex Marriage

The Hawaiian state Senate on Nov. 12 passed SB1 on a 19-4 vote during a special session called by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who signed the bill into law yesterday. The Hawaiian House approved the measure 30-19 on Nov. 8 after adding several amendments aimed at quelling religious objections.

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November 15, 2013

American Fertility Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / Rich Vaughn Article

AFA Offers Fertility Resources to Members of Armed Services

AFA’s recent initiative to help members of the U.S. armed forces and their families by providing information and resources and providing discounted infertility treatment and preservation services to service members.

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November 11, 2013

LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Rich Vaughn Article / Uncategorized

Illinois 15th State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Illinois has become the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Although Governor Pat Quinn has yet to sign the bill into law, he urged state legislators to pass it and has promised to sign.

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November 7, 2013

Adoption / American Fertility Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / Rich Vaughn Article

AFA’s Illuminations New York Honors Vardalos, Penzias

Honorees at the upcoming American Fertility Association New York Illuminations November 4 are Nia Vardalos, recipient of the 2013 Carol Berger Adoption Advocacy Award, and Dr. Alan S. Penzias, M.D. recipient of the Joyce M. Vargyas MD Visionary Award.

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November 2, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents

Hurricane “Sandy Saves” Demonstrate Compassion at Heart of Fertility Industry

This amazing story about fertility professionals who went above and beyond to salvage the hopes and dreams of intended parents really hits home.

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October 29, 2013

Fertility Law / Fertility Services / IFLG / Intended Parents / LGBT News / Same Sex Parents

New California Law Gives LGBT Couples Equal Access to Infertility Insurance

A California bill recently signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, AB 460, clarifies language and clears up confusion around whether gay and lesbian intended parents are entitled to insurance coverage for infertility treatment.

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October 28, 2013

Egg Donation Information / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents

New Egg Donation Study Offers Good News for Intended Parents

More and more women are becoming moms via egg donation over the past decade, with significantly improved outcomes, as reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual meeting in Boston

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October 24, 2013

LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

New Jersey Couples Flock to Marry, As Governor Withdraws Appeal

Scores of gay and lesbian couples lined up at county courthouses throughout the state to apply for marriage licenses or to be married.

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October 22, 2013

Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

Two steps forward, one step back…

The New Jersey Supreme Court today stood up for equality, upholding a lower court ruling legalizing same sex marriage and the Illinois State Senate has passed the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.”

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October 18, 2013

American Bar Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Family Law

ASRM Conference Offers Meeting Opportunity for Model Act Work

One of ABA Family Law Section Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology projects concerns updating the Model Act Governing Assisted Reproductive Technology in keeping with rapidly evolving customs and practices.

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October 11, 2013

American Bar Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Family Law / IFLG / Reproductive Laws / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News

ABA ART Committee Invites Students, Attorneys to Get Involved

The ABA Family Law Section ART Committee is always actively engaged in developing and producing high-quality continuing legal education and mentoring on ART law topic

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October 3, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / Same Sex Marriage / Same Sex Parents

U.S. Fertility Rates Unchanged by Delayed Marriage and Childbirth

Despite the fact that more women are putting off marriage and childbirth until later in life, U.S. fertility rates haven’t changed significantly over the past 20 years

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September 21, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / Intended Parents / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News / Uncategorized

Delaware Passes Gestational Carrier Agreement Act

Delaware law now authorizes such agreements and establishes clear standards and procedures for defining the relationship of parent and child resulting from gestational surrogacy

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September 12, 2013

American Bar Association / Assisted Reproductive Technology

ABA Committee on Assisted Reproduction

I was honored recently to be named chair of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section Committee on Assisted Reproduction.

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September 6, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Biological Time Clock / Family Law / Fertility Law / Fertility Services / Gay Fathers / IFLG / Intended Parents / LGBT News / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News

Partner Agency Serves Growing Number of Single Dads

Restrictions on surrogate compensation make family formation via assisted reproductive technology (“ART”) a challenge for many single men. In India and Ukraine, two of the few countries where commercial surrogacy is allowed, single men are excluded.

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August 31, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg Donation Information / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents

IVM Offers Alternative to IVF

In-Vitro Maturation, or IVM, is one of the newest technologies being utilized in the fertility field as a cost-efficient, safe alternative to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

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August 28, 2013

Egg Donation Information / Family Law / Fertility Law / Fertility Services / Intended Parents / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News

Surrogacy in California – A Primer for Australian Practitioners

I am pleased to report that the following article I wrote on California surrogacy law was published recently in the Family Law Review. To read full article click here: (2013) 3…

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August 21, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization

99% of Male Infertility Can Be Treated

In the US approximately 2,000,000 men are diagnosed with infertility problems. The good news is that almost 99% of male infertility cases can be resolved.

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August 9, 2013

In Vitro Fertilization

IVF Goes IPO

Virtus Health Ltd, an Australian in-vitro fertilization company, made news recently by becoming the first IVF company traded on a major stock exchange.

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July 31, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Law / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization / Sperm Donation Information

Celebrity Custody Battle May Lead to Expanded Sperm Donor Rights

Patric has become the poster child for a proposed new law that would expand the rights of California sperm donors to have a parental relationship with their offspring under certain conditions.

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July 23, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Law / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News

Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Legality of Surrogacy Agreements

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled yesterday, July 11, that surrogacy agreements, under which a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for the child’s intended parent or parents, are legal and enforceable.

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July 12, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg Donation Information / Fertility Law / Reproductive Laws / Rich Vaughn Article

Egg Donors to Research Can Be Paid

A new California law will allow women who donate eggs for medical research to be compensated.

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July 5, 2013

Adoption / Fertility Law / IFLG / Parentage Orders / Rich Vaughn Article

SCOTUS ICWA Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 25 on a case related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which was enacted in the late 1970s primarily to protect against the involuntary removal by child welfare authorities of children from Indian families for placement in non-Indian homes. The court decision.

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June 28, 2013

IFLG / LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

SCOTUS Issues 2 Historic Rulings for LGBT Equality

The U.S. Supreme Court released decisions on DOMA and Prop 8 that will have a profound impact for many of our clients and on the lives of LGBT people

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June 26, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / LGBT News

Will LGBT People Be Banned from Québec’s Free IVF Program?

Restricting the program to those with biological infertility conditions would have obvious negative ramifications for same-sex couples, for whom IVF is often a means of becoming parents.

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June 10, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents

Embryo Mini-Movies Hold Promise for More IVF Live Births

Using time-lapse photography to create mini-movies of embryos may hold the secret to increasing the success rate of in vitro fertilization

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June 7, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Fertility Services / IFLG / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents

Grant Promotes Donation of Frozen Embryos

Boston IVF, a medical practice specializing in assisted reproductive technology (ART), has received a two-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promote donation of frozen embryos.

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June 5, 2013

Fertility Law / Gay Fathers / IFLG / Intended Parents / LGBT News / Same Sex Parents / Surrogacy Latest News

New Nevada Law Offers Clarity, Security for Intended Parents and Gestational Carriers

A new gestational surrogacy law, AB 421, authored by Kim Surratt of Surratt Law Practice, PC, and an Of Counsel attorney to IFLG, was signed by the Governor of Nevada

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June 3, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Parentage Orders / Sperm Donation Information

Iowa Supreme Court Ruling A Mixed Blessing for LGBT Parentage Law

The Gartner family of Iowa received wonderful news on May 3rd when they were notified that the Iowa Supreme Court agreed with them that the Department of Health must include the nonbiological mother of the couple’s daughter on the birth certificate.

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May 23, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Parentage Orders / Surrogacy Latest News

Landmark Irish Parentage Ruling

In a landmark case, the genetic mother of twins born to a surrogate triumphed over the Irish government, winning the right to be listed as the mother on the birth certificates of her children.

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May 20, 2013

Domestic Partnership / LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

10th, 11th, 12th States Legalize Gay & Lesbian Marriage

Same-sex marriage legislation passed in two more U.S. states recently

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May 15, 2013

Rich Vaughn Article / Uncategorized

New York Bill Would Legalize Surrogacy in State

The Child-Parent Security Act is in committee in the New York State legislature. The bill, introduced last May by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88th), would legalize surrogacy in the state.

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April 29, 2013

American Bar Association / Family Law

Indian Child Welfare Act Supreme Court Case Promises Intense Discussion

I traveled last week to Anchorage, Alaska, where I attended the American Bar Association, Family Law Section Continuing Legal Education Conference.

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April 25, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Rich Vaughn Article

AFA Illuminations Honors Elton John, The New Normal

As a member of the American Fertility Association’s board of directors, I’m very proud to have been part of Illuminations LA 2013 on April 13.

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April 17, 2013

Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage

Uruguay Becomes 3rd Nation in Americas to Legalize Gay Marriage

Uruguay became the second Latin American nation, following Argentina, to legalize same-sex marriage

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April 15, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Family Law / IFLG / Intended Parents

Expert ART Attorneys Guide Intended Parents Through Legal Complexities

It is essential that intended parents understand what steps they need to take in order to ensure their babies are legal citizens of the country in which they will reside and that the parents are legally recognized as such.

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April 9, 2013

Adoption / Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg Donation Information / Gay Fathers / IFLG / Intended Parents / LGBT News / Same Sex Parents

New Order Offers French Nationality to Children Born to Foreign Surrogates

Another development in France was the issuance of an order from the French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira that could have enormous impact on French families created via assisted reproductive technology.

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April 5, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / IFLG / LGBT News / Rich Vaughn Article / Same Sex Parents / Surrogacy Latest News

UK Courts Deliberate on Parental Role of Sperm Donor

There is a very interesting and potentially ground-breaking case being heard in the U.K. courts right now about the role of sperm donors in the lives of the children they help to create.

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April 2, 2013

LGBT News / Marriage Equality / Same Sex Marriage / Same Sex Parents

Supreme Court Cases Advance Recognition of Rights of Gay, Lesbian Parents

The U.S. Supreme Court’s hearings on two crucial same-sex marriage cases this week has created a media frenzy and raised passions to fever pitch on both sides of the issue.

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March 27, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Family Law / Same Sex Parents

You Could Have Paid for College

A paternity case involving a sperm donor and a Miami lesbian couple who became parents via artificial insemination has created a media stir recently.

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March 18, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Family Law / Surrogacy Latest News

Australian Surrogacy Laws

Recent news out of Australia is evidence of two important trends: first, that the number of children born through surrogacy is increasing significantly, and second, that Australia, like many other countries, is struggling to find ways for its legal system to keep up with fertility technology.

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March 12, 2013

Adoption / LGBT News / Same Sex Marriage

France Embraces Gay Marriage

France became the second nation in one month to take the first steps toward marriage equality. The “Marriage for All” bill spearheaded by President François Hollande’s Socialist party also grants the same right to all married couples to adopt children.

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March 8, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / LGBT News / Rich Vaughn Article / Surrogacy Latest News

Pink Parenting Profile on Our Family

Our family is featured in a recent issue of Pink Parenting as part of a series on the families that are part of a print campaign by our partner agency, Growing Generations.

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March 7, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Gay Fathers / LGBT News / Rich Vaughn Article / Same Sex Parents / Surrogacy Latest News / Uncategorized

ART Featured in London Times Article on Hollywood ‘Gayby Boom’

Tommy Woelfel and Rich Vaughn along with their twin boys are featured currently in a London Times Magazine article, Inside gay Hollywood’s baby boom, by Rhys Blakeley.

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March 5, 2013

LGBT News / Same Sex Marriage / Same Sex Parents

Kansas Supreme Court Ruling Puts Children’s Rights First

Kansas Supreme Court ruled in Frazier v. Goudschaal that the two children born via sperm donation to a lesbian couple are the children of both women.

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February 26, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Egg Donation Information / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization / Intended Parents / Surrogacy Latest News

Preparation and Planning Doubly Important for Single Intended Parents

The prospect of parenting a child alone, physically, mentally and financially, for 18 years or more is a daunting one. But for an adult who has considered the pros and cons and is genuinely committed to becoming a single parent, ART can be an option.

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February 21, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Intended Parents / Surrogacy Latest News

Real Housewives’ Feud Spotlights Dilemma of How To Tell Kids About ART

Apparently during the taping of a segment for the new season, Glanville revealed that Maloof had used a surrogate to have her twin boys, Christian and Colin, now 6 years old. The publicity surrounding what is and should be a completely personal decision has raised awareness of a question that every parent of a child born through surrogacy faces: When, how and what do I tell my child about his or her birth story?

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February 19, 2013

Assisted Reproductive Technology / Biological Time Clock / Fertility Services / In Vitro Fertilization

Even With Miracle of ART Age Still Imposes Limits

A survey of 61 women who conceived and gave birth after 40 via IVF found that half had been shocked to learn they needed fertility treatment in order to conceive.

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February 7, 2013