That phone call launched a $10,000 legal battle for the now 37-year-old metal factory worker, who had saved for years to pay for IVF treatment. The case highlights what lawyers say has become a growing problem in divorce proceedings: What happens to frozen embryos when marriages end? But unlike a retirement account that can be divided or a house that can be sold in a divorce, embryos represent both the potential for life and lifelong financial obligations. “There are more embryos at play now.”There’s no federal law governing the fate of embryos in divorce, and states vary in how they approach the matter. When Kate St. John, 31, started IVF in 2023, she got her husband to sign away rights to their embryos.

Source: Wall Street Journal December 20, 2025 07:25 UTC