Choosing to be a part of surrogacy can mean you are looking for someone to help you grow your family, but it might also mean you’re willing to be the surrogate who will carry a child to term. In either case, you need a surrogacy attorney to protect your interests. You might not be able to complete the process legally without such a lawyer representing you.
The Surrogacy Contract
Every surrogacy situation must have a legal contract before it proceeds. Surrogacy lawyers are the professionals who draft and finalize this contract, and the contract protects the rights of prospective surrogates and intended parents alike. This document details the breakdown between surrogate compensation and parental rights.
Navigating State Laws
Surrogacy cases aren’t always done where the surrogate and intended parents are in the same state. In such cases, the laws of both states might come into play, and there can be overlaps or points of conflict. Surrogate attorneys need to work through these before surrogacy starts, so there are no legal entanglements afterward once the pregnancy process has started.
Parentage Orders
Any birth can include pre- and post-birth orders. Surrogacy lawyers make sure that all parentage orders will be properly effective. This is necessary to ensure the parents’ names wind up on the birth certificate of the baby at the time of delivery.