A man in China took a baby home a year after his wife died, claiming it was born through surrogacy with her consent to claim a share of her estate.
The case, handled by a Shanghai court, captivated public attention.
The wife, surnamed Qiu, passed away in 2021 from an unidentified connective tissue illness and cancer. She and her husband, identified as Lin, did not have any children before her passing, according to the Jiefang Daily.
The couple’s joint property included two flats in Shanghai and bank savings, the exact amount of which was not disclosed in the news report.
According to the law, Qiu’s estate should be divided between Lin and her octogenarian parents. Her parents are her foster parents, as they were unable to have biological children due to their health issues.
In 2022, Lin informed Qiu’s foster mother that part of his wife’s inheritance should be allocated to a surrogate baby, whose gender has not been revealed.
He claimed that he and Qiu had previously contacted an overseas agency in hopes of having a baby through surrogacy.