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The Alberta Law Reform Institute (“ALRI”), in its Final Report of March 2015
(the “ALRI Report”)[1] has advanced several recommendations in this regard,
calling for changes in some areas of Alberta law, and resisting pressure for
change in others. Notably, the ALRI Report advises against some changes
that have already been adopted in other jurisdictions to recognize an after-
born child’s right to inherit from a deceased parent.
Parentage
British Columbia has incorporated the same principles into its Family Law
Act[3] (the “BCFLA”), which provides that if a deceased person gave and did
not withdraw written consent for the use of his or her reproductive material
to a spouse or partner in a marriage-like relationship, and also consented to
be the parent of a child conceived after his or her death, then that deceased
person and his or her spouse or partner are the parents of any posthumously-
conceived child. Similar provisions have been adopted in several U.S. states,
as well as in the U.K. and Australia.[4]
It has been argued that after-born children should not be permitted to claim
an inheritance from or through their deceased parents. Waiting to see if
potential beneficiaries will come into existence would cause delays in
administering estates and may prejudice the interests of other beneficiaries.
The administration of benefits, such as governmental death benefits or
insurance payments, would suffer from increased complexity for the same
reasons. Conversely, it has also been argued that to deny after-born children
such rights is unfairly prejudicial. It has long been an established principle
that children born after a parent’s death (though conceived earlier) are
considered to be children of that parent for all purposes; it would be
discriminatory to deny the same rights to children conceived later.
Iowa and other states have enacted a similar provision in respect of intestate
succession.[10] Conversely, section 742.17(4) of the 2015 Florida
Statutes[11] explicitly states that after-born children have no claim on the
estate of their deceased parents unless otherwise specified in a will.
a) the spouse or partner of the deceased gives written notice to the personal
representatives, beneficiaries and intestate successors of the deceased, within
180 days from the issue of a grant of representation, that such spouse or
partner may use the deceased’s reproductive material to conceive a child,
b) such descendant must be born within 2 years of the death of the deceased
parent, and
Given the lack of consensus on these issues, it may not be surprising that the
ALRI Report recommends that Alberta not follow the BC approach to
inheritance. The Report concludes that amending the AFLA to recognize an
after-born child’s parentage would have little effect on the law otherwise, and
states that “[w]hile the law may appear to operate harshly in denying
inheritance or benefits to after-born children, changing the law would be
detrimental to the rights of persons who are living when the parent dies.
Where a person wants to provide financially for an after-born child, the law
allows this to be done by a carefully drafted will”.[15] Of course, this is not a
complete answer because the provisions of such a will are subject to the
claims of legally recognized dependants. Nonetheless, the Report rejects
placing a time limit on an after-born child’s inheritance claim as this “still
limits the rights of living persons and subjects them to potential claims of
those who have no legal existence”.[16]
Conclusion
[4] See, inter alia, Texas Family Code, Title 5, Chapter 160 Sec. 160.707;
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (UK) c 22; Status of
Children Act 1974 (Vic).
[9]Online: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?
section=prob&group=00001-01000&file=248-249.8.