by Victoria T. Ferrara
Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists LLC
Victoria is co-leading the session Surrogacy: Practice and Legal Issues at the 21st Annual Fertility Treatment, Donor Choices and Adoption Conference on November 8, 2014. This workshop provides an overview on how to locate a suitable gestational carrier, the differences between traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy and the financial issues including insurance coverage and legal issues. Find out more about the conference here.
It can be one of the most overwhelming facets of your life to even begin considering having a child through surrogacy. There are a myriad of emotions, practical concerns and questions that are daunting and nerve-wracking. So it is important to break down the issues and speak to medical and legal professionals to inform yourself on each issue. Competent professionals will be able to help you organize and synthesize all of the information you will receive. The issues may be listed as financial, medical, legal, identification of and relationship with your gestational surrogate, establishing your legal parentage and your birth plan.
So first of all, the finances: to properly accomplish having a child by surrogacy in the United States, you must be prepared for costs and expenses ranging from approximately $75,0000 to $150,000. The determining factors are whether you are using an egg donor, whether you have embryos already, insurance costs and surrogate compensation.
The medical issues must be placed in the hands of a competent fertility physician, IVF clinic and staff. Here you will obtain information and make decisions regarding the creation of your embryos, egg donation, and medical calendars.
As far as the legal issues go, your lawyer must be a specialist in assisted reproduction technology law. This is who will help you with the very important gestational surrogacy contract. The contract will cover the surrogate’s obligations to take medication, follow all legal and medical instructions, maintain a safe and sound pregnancy, authorize you to know and participate in all medical treatment for the pregnancy and birth, and respect and acknowledge you as the parent(s).
If you have a competent team managing and supervising the surrogate arrangement, and your surrogate has been properly screened, you can feel assured that you will have a good relationship with your surrogate, one of mutual respect and caring, with everyone involved helping to bring a beautiful and healthy baby into your arms.