“The unique nature of each human embryo means that an equal division cannot conveniently be made,” writes a Virginia judge.
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Propertydivisionsduringdivorcescanoftenbeacrimonious,butforHoneyhlineandJasonHeidemannthematterreachedawholenewlevelofimport.Thecouplecouldn’tdecidewhoshouldretainownershipofthefrozenembryoscreatedwithHoneyhline’seggsandJason’ssperm.ThisdisputehasgivenrisetoanovellegalcaseinVirginia.
Acancersurvivorwhosechemotherapyleftherinfertile,HoneyhlineHeidemanwantedtousethefrozenembryostoconceiveanotherchild.ShearguedthatownershipoftheembryoscouldbeaddressedunderVirginia’s“goodsandchattels”statute.
ButinaMarch7,2025,opinionletter,JudgeDontaeL.Buggdisagreed,dismissingHoneyhlineHeidemann’ssuitandholdingthat“humanembryosarenotsubjecttopartition”underVirginialaw“astheydonotconstitutegoodsorchattelscapableofbeingvaluedandsold.”
Bugggoesontosuggestthatthere’snowaythattwoembryoscanbedividedequallybetweentwopeop
