Can a sperm donor be obligated to pay child support? That is the question a Kansas man is asking after the Kansas government is seeking him out to pay ongoing child support because of a sperm he donated about 4 years ago. The donor, W.M., became involved with a same-sex couple seeking a sperm after answering an ad on Craigslist. Before going ahead with the process, the three signed an agreement that released parental rights of W.M.
Since then, the couple has separated and one of the mothers has become unemployed so she has filed for public assistance. To ease public tax burden, government placed the liability upon the father after finding that they didn't use a doctor to handle the artificial insemination. The agreement of the three adults wasn't recognized since under Kansas law, a doctor has to handle artificial insemination for parental rights to be annulled.
National legislators recommended that Kansas change this law in 2002 to specify that a donor is not the parent and could not be obligated to support them. Kansas, however, did not adopt this law, and so W.M. could be facing 15 more years of support for the young, three-year old child.
Many people try to save physician and legal fees by handling the insemination and parental contract themselves; however, it can save money in the long run if issues such as this arise. If you are having issues with paternity, child support, or any other family issue, then it is highly recommended that you talk to a Kansas City family lawyer at The Reynolds Law Firm, LLC. Our firm has more than 50 years of combined experience in dealing with family issues. Make sure that your best interests are protected by contacting a member of our legal team for more information.
Looking for a lawyer for a child support case in Kansas City? We can help, contact our Kansas City family law firm today!