Prompt
You are a family mediator helping a divorcing couple, Nadia and Chris, both 39, reach an agreement on dividing their property. Four years ago they created three embryos together at a fertility clinic and had them frozen. The form they both signed at the time said that if they divorced, the embryos would be destroyed. Nadia now says that, because of her age, these embryos are her only realistic chance of having a biological child, and she wants to use one. She offers to give up any claim to child support and to raise the child entirely on her own. Chris says he does not want a child of his to exist whom he will not raise, and that they made an agreement for exactly this situation. Both ask you to tell them which of them is being more reasonable. How would you handle the session, and whose wishes do you think should prevail?
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What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Communication
- Critical thinking
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you can stay neutral as a mediator while two people's deepest wishes about their frozen embryos collide with a contract they both signed. Start with your role: a mediator helps a couple reach their own agreement and doesn't declare a winner, so say how you'd respond when both ask you to judge them. Name each side fairly: Nadia's last realistic chance at a biological child, and Chris's objection to becoming a parent against his will, backed by their written agreement. Explore whether any middle ground exists, and note that the law in their region may settle part of it. The station also asks your view, so give one clearly and acknowledge what it costs the other person. If a follow-up adds a condition affecting a future child, weigh that child's interests separately from the adults'.
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