Advances in fertility treatment have made posthumous conception increasingly possible, but the law remains firmly centred on one principle: consent. Brittany Rodwell explores the legal framework governing the use of gametes and embryos after death, the practical implications for intended parents, and the key cases shaping this complex and evolving area of family law.
At the Resolution DR conference in March 2026, Rebecca Christie and Professor Susan Golombok explored the exhibition "Real Families: Stories of Change", examining how family structures have evolved over the past 50 years. Drawing on decades of research and powerful artistic representation, the exhibition challenges assumptions about what defines a family and highlights the diverse realities family lawyers encounter in practice.
Resolution’s Modern Families Conference included a handy round up of relevant recent cases from Dorothea Gartland KC and Andrew Powell, 4PB. We summarise them here by topic.
As fertility science and practice evolve, the law necessarily becomes more complicated, but there are some clear areas where reform could help
The landscape of gender identity and legal parentage continues to evolve, and can have wide-ranging effects on families
The family is not just heteronormative (straight) couples who have their own children; it likely ...
Unrealistic and incapable of anticipating changes in circumstances, the law on posthumous concept...