Woodward v. Commissioner of Social Security

Before dying of leukemia in 1993, Warren Woodward banked his sperm anticipating that treatment might cause sterility; his wife Lauren (plaintiff) later conceived twins via artificial insemination using his preserved sperm and gave birth in 1995. The Social Security Administration (defendant) denied her application for survivor benefits because she hadn't shown the children could inherit from Warren under Massachusetts intestacy law. The federal district court certified the inheritance-rights question to the state's highest court.

Whether posthumously conceived children may inherit under Massachusetts intestacy laws from their deceased parent where their genetic relationship with the deceased parent is established and the deceased parent consented to the posthumous conception and support of the children.