Thinking About Using a Known Donor? Here’s What You Need To Know (UK)

In this webinar, I’ll be joined by Anest Mathias, family law specialist at TV Edwards, to walk through what UK law says about using a known donor - whether through home insemination, natural conception, or an arrangement that happens abroad.

Anest has a particular specialism in fertility, surrogacy and modern parenting law and advises heterosexual and same sex couples as well as individuals seeking to create their family.

About me -

I am a 44 year old solo woman and founder of Solo Fertility 40s. I have funded my own fertility treatment. With the cost of donor sperm a significant additional expense, I wondered about using a known donor.

But I discovered a huge amount of misinformation and also heard of women getting dragged into messy court room situations. So I turned to Anest to get the facts.

There won’t be a replay because the intention is for it to be a private space where participants can talk freely. This will therefore include sensitive personal information.

If you’re in need of specific guidance, you can email Anest for a private consult: enquiries@tvedwards.com

Using a known donor

Many solo mothers by choice (SMBCs) rely on sperm banks. But for women over 40, the cost of donor sperm - on top of fertility treatment - can turn family-building into a financial cliff edge. Older women often need +3 cycles of IVF to reach a live birth, which means total costs when using regulated donor sperm can become unfeasible.

And when options shrink, and it’s a cost of living crisis, women start exploring other options to create their family.

Two recent peer-reviewed studies highlight what’s quietly happening behind the scenes:

• A 2024 study found that a global “informal system of sperm donation” has evolved - private known-donor arrangements, online matching, and home insemination taking place entirely outside regulated clinics.
• A 2022 review argued that restrictive access to regulated donor-insemination (DI) is likely driving more people toward unregulated routes via social media, websites or direct contact.

There are no reliable statistics capturing how many women use known donors informally, precisely because it happens outside regulation. But the academic consensus is clear: this unregulated pathway exists, it is growing, and cost pressures are a major driver.

Sometimes those informal arrangements eg. organised via app ‘Just A Baby’ turn out fine. But they can also turn into a legal nightmare.

When things go wrong, they can get messy very fast - emotionally, financially, and legally.

Women deserve clarity before making decisions that affect their future family. Solo Fertility 40s and TV Edwards are working together to bring you the low-down on this path to motherhood.

Why this matters

Informal sperm donation exists, is growing, and women deserve to understand the risks before stepping into it.

• The “known donor” route via a UK-licensed clinic is not the same as using a donor casually.
• Clinic donors are not legal parents. Known donors via home insemination can be.
• Written agreements do not override UK parenthood law.
• Safety screening and traceability apply only in regulated treatment.
• Using a donor abroad adds significant legal complexity.
  

Many women don’t find out any of this until they’re already pregnant. This webinar aims to change that.

What we’ll cover

• Why known donors are becoming more common for women, inc those +40
• How legal parenthood works if conception happens at home
• What happens if a donor later wants involvement
• Whether agreements or contracts offer any protection
• What to do if a donor becomes intrusive or harassing
• Red flags when searching for donors on apps like Just A Baby
• How to structure safer communication with potential donors
• Does a clinic-only insemination change the legal risks?

Extra risks when the donor lives abroad (jurisdiction, enforcement, parenthood claims)

And more…..

Register for discussion

Reserve your place for Thursday 11th December at 6pm.
Bring your questions. Bring your concerns. Bring your curiosity.
Your future family deserves clarity, not guesswork.

About TV Edwards

TV Edwards is a top-ranked, award-winning law firm, recently recognised in The Times Best Law Firms 2026, where its Family Law team was ranked among the UK’s top 20.

The firm also received the prestigious Children’s Law Team of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Awards last month. Nationally respected for its leading expertise in children law, the team is known for a compassionate, client-centred approach.

TV Edwards is also at the forefront of modern family law, advising intended parents and donors on surrogacy, donation and co-parenting arrangements. Its solicitors have played a key role in landmark cases that are shaping the future of law for diverse and evolving family structures.

As committed members of Resolution, the firm promotes a constructive, child-focused approach and adheres to best practice in fertility, parenting and wider family matters.