Known Donor Agreement Checklist: What Should You Discuss?

A good donor agreement does more than say the donor is not intended to be a legal parent. It records who is involved, what everyone expects and how the adults will respond when life changes.

People, roles and jurisdiction

• Full legal details of every adult included
• Intended parent, donor and partner roles
• Households and relationship to the child
• Applicable country and regional law
• Who may be a legal parent or appear on registration documents

Conception and health

Record the conception routes the participants have agreed to use. Include duties to disclose relevant health, screening and hereditary information, to update material changes and to use appropriate professional care.

The child and ongoing relationships

• How and when origins will be explained
• What the donor will be called
• Frequency and character of contact
• Updates, photographs and significant events
• Donor siblings and number of recipient families
• Extended family and new partners

Privacy, change and disputes

Cover private and public photograph sharing, social media, relocation, travel, illness, death, new relationships and review intervals. Explain how disagreements are discussed and when mediation or independent advice will be considered.

A contract cannot safely promise an outcome that current law does not allow. GreatTogether’s builder should assemble only the clauses supported by the selected jurisdiction pack, with professional review where required.