Okoli v. Okoli
Massachusetts Appeals Court
963 N.E.2d 730 (2012)
Blessing (plaintiff) and Chukwudera Okoli (defendant) signed an agreement allowing IVF using donor eggs and sperm, with Chukwudera agreeing to "recognize" any resulting children while disclaiming financial responsibility; he then signed consent forms before each IVF attempt, some referencing that agreement, and twins were born in 2003. After the couple divorced, the trial judge ordered Chukwudera to pay child support, rejecting his claims that his consent was conditional and that Blessing had coerced or forged his signature; he appealed.
Whether a husband who consents to his wife's artificial insemination procedure is legally the resulting children's father, regardless of his subjective intent to parent.