Under section 24 of the ''[[Family Law Act]]'', the donor of sperm or eggs is ''not'' the parent of a child conceived by artificial reproduction merely because of the donation, and may not be declared to be a parent of a child. This section is very important. It means that a person can donate sperm or eggs without worrying that they will be a legal parent of any resulting child, and potentially be liable to support that child at some point in the future.

A donor ''can'' be a parent, on the other hand, if the intended parents and the donor sign a written assisted reproduction agreement before the child is conceived that says that the donor will be a parent. Donors who are parents under an assisted reproduction agreement are parents for all purposes of the law in British Columbia under the ''Family Law Act''; they are presumed to be the guardians of a child, they are entitled to ask for parenting time with their child and decision-making responsibilities for their child, and they may be required to support their child.