HUSBAND ENTITLED TO REVOKE HIS CONSENT TO USE OF A FROZEN EMBRYO, EMBRYO AWARDED TO HUSBAND FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF DISPOSAL IN THIS DIVORCE ACTION (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff husband, in this divorce action, was entitled to the frozen embryo for the sole purpose of disposal:
… [Husband and wife] engaged the services of [New Hope Fertility Center, NHF] in the hope of conceiving a child via implantation of cryopreserved embryos in the wife’s uterus. … [T]hey signed an agreement with NHF entitled “Consent for the Cryopreservation of Human Embryo(s)” (the Consent Agreement). …
Paragraph 7 of the Consent Agreement is entitled “Voluntary Participation” and provides “I/We may withdraw my/our consent and discontinue participation at any time . . . .” Paragraph 16, entitled “Authorization,” provides, “This consent will remain in effect until such time as I notify NHF in writing of my/our wish to revoke such consent.” …
In Kass v Kass (91 NY2d 554 [1998]), the Court of Appeals determined that agreements between donors participating in IVF [in vitro fertilization] should be enforced pursuant to general rules of contract interpretation. … The Consent Agreement specifies that participation in the procedures involving cryopreservation of embryos is voluntary and that either party may withdraw consent at any time. … The provisions permitting either party to revoke consent are not limited to cryopreservation, but permit either party to withdraw consent to participation in the entire IVF process. … [T]he Consent Agreement does not indicate that the court has plenary authority to determine ownership of the embryo in the event of divorce … . Finkelstein v Finkelstein, 2018 NY Slip Op 03926, First Dept 6-5-18
FAMILY LAW (IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, FROZEN EMBRYO, HUSBAND ENTITLED TO REVOKE HIS CONSENT TO USE OF A FROZEN EMBRYO, EMBRYO AWARDED TO HUSBAND FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF DISPOSAL IN THIS DIVORCE ACTION (FIRST DEPT))/CONTRACT LAW (FAMILY LAW, IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, FROZEN EMBRYO, HUSBAND ENTITLED TO REVOKE HIS CONSENT TO USE OF A FROZEN EMBRYO, EMBRYO AWARDED TO HUSBAND FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF DISPOSAL IN THIS DIVORCE ACTION (FIRST DEPT))/IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (FAMILY LAW. FROZEN EMBRYO, HUSBAND ENTITLED TO REVOKE HIS CONSENT TO USE OF A FROZEN EMBRYO, EMBRYO AWARDED TO HUSBAND FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF DISPOSAL IN THIS DIVORCE ACTION (FIRST DEPT))/EMBRYO, FROZEN (FAMILY LAW, IN VITRO FERTILIZATION, HUSBAND ENTITLED TO REVOKE HIS CONSENT TO USE OF A FROZEN EMBRYO, EMBRYO AWARDED TO HUSBAND FOR SOLE PURPOSE OF DISPOSAL IN THIS DIVORCE ACTION (FIRST DEPT))