Top Arizona court rules frozen embryos in breakup must be donated

Courts and the Judiciary

The Arizona Supreme Court released a decision Thursday in a case that determined if a woman can use her frozen embryos to have a baby even if her ex-husband disagrees.

A trial court had ruled against Torres, saying the contract she and her then-boyfriend had signed in 2014 clearly said both parties must agree to implantation in the event of a separation or divorce. Torres had an aggressive cancer and wanted to preserve her ability to have children after treatment.

The state Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in a 2-1 decision last March. The court held that the contract was unclear and that Torres’ interests in having a child outweighed John Terrell’s interest in not becoming a father who could be forced to pay child support.

The Arizona Legislature changed the law in 2018 in response to Torres’ case. The law now allows a former spouse to use the embryos against their former partner’s wishes, but relieves the ex-spouse of parental responsibilities like child support.

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Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC

A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party

Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party

However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.