’The door was open’ - Can a sperm donor be a parent? With Tahlia Bleier (family lawyer)

Tahlia Bleier discusses the ground breaking case of Masson & Parsons and Anor [2018] FamCA 823 (18 September 2018) with the appeal to the High Court of Australia being heard on Tuesday 16 April.  Very much family law at the frontier, Tahlia and I discuss

• The background facts and history of the proceedings
• The wider consequences for families of this case, depending on how the High Court decides it.
• What can we learn from all of this in terms of practical steps that can be taken before a child is born when a known sperm donor is involved to ensure there is greater clarity for all parties
• What is the nexus between biology and parenthood
• How children's perceptions are given weight
• How the “reality” of modern family structures may not be able to be properly captured with our current legislation.
• The tension between flexibility and clarity in the law.