But seriously, who is your daddy?
DIY sperm donation is a financially risky business. So says the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority after Andy Bathie was ordered to pay £400 per month in child support to his two biological offspring (see news reports here , here and here ). Andy donated sperm to a lesbian couple on the condition that he would not play any part in the parenting of the children. He explained that "These women wanted to be parents and take on the responsibilities that brings. I would never have agreed to this unless they had been a committed family. And now I can't afford to have children with my own wife - it's crippling me financially." The crux of Andy's problem is that he did not donate his sperm through a licensed fertility clinic. He is therefore not exempted from parental responsibility. To add insult to injury, the non-biological mother bears no responsibility for the child’s maintenance. The House of Lords is presently discussing a Child Maintenance and Oth...