Specialist surrogacy solicitors
Choosing to use a surrogate or to be a surrogate, is a decision that’s both exciting and legally complex. Our expert surrogacy solicitors have a wealth of experience advising both intended parents and surrogates, including obtaining a parental order and international surrogacy matters.
For specialist legal advice on domestic and international surrogacy law, call 0800 422 0123 or contact us online to arrange an initial consultation to discuss your situation with an empathetic solicitor.
On this page
- What we can help you with
- Parental orders
- International surrogacy
- Why choose our surrogacy solicitors?
How our surrogacy lawyers can help
Our solicitors have experience helping clients at all stages of the surrogacy process. We can help with:
- Expert advice on surrogacy law: whether you’re the intended parent(s) or the surrogate, we can talk you through the legal requirements of the surrogacy process to ensure you have everything set up as it should be.
- Guidance on international surrogacy: if you decide to pursue surrogacy in another country, we can advise on the legal process, communicate with lawyers overseas and support you with bringing your child home and securing their British nationality.
- Post-birth legal support: in the interim between the birth and the parental order being granted, we can support you with registering the birth, parental responsibility and any other matters that arise.
- Parental orders: help with your court application to become your child’s legal parent(s), any necessary paperwork and getting your child’s new birth certificate.
- Surrogacy and fertility law: if you’re planning to use gametes or embryos stored at a UK or overseas clinic in your surrogacy, we can advise on the legal implications of this.
- Wills to protect your family: we can help you create a specialist Will to ensure you, your child and your surrogate all have protection in place.
Surrogacy and parental orders
When considering or entering into a surrogacy arrangement, it’s important to understand that UK surrogacy law automatically recognises the person who gives birth (the surrogate) as the legal parent and they will be named on the birth certificate.
This is the case even if the baby was conceived using a donated egg and the surrogate is not biologically related to the child. If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse or civil partner will automatically be considered the other legal parent, unless it can be shown that their spouse or civil partner did not agree to the conception.
This means that at birth one or both of the intended parents will not be legally recognised as the child’s parent. To remedy this, an application for a parental order must be made to the Court.
A parental order secures the legal status of the intended parents under UK law and is open to single parents and same-sex couples, as well as heterosexual couples. However, to be granted, at least one of the intended parents must be biologically related to the child. The surrogate must consent to the parental order being granted and can only do so after the baby is six weeks old.
Once a parental order is granted, a new birth certificate will be issued with the names of the intended parents, revoking the surrogate and her spouse/civil partner’s status as parents.
For expert legal advice on parental orders, call 0800 422 0123 or get in touch online to arrange a consultation with a specialist surrogacy solicitor.
Expert international surrogacy lawyers
If you’re considering entering into an international arrangement, we can advise you on the legal process in the UK and help you understand the law in your chosen country. As the law varies between jurisdictions, it’s vital that everyone is clear on their legal rights and you’re certain you’ll be able to bring your child back to the UK.
If you have entered into an arrangement with an international surrogate and you’re named on a foreign birth certificate as the child’s parent, a UK parental order is still required. Without this, you will not be recognised as the legal parent for your child in the UK and will not have legal parental responsibility.
Our international surrogacy solicitors can help you with your parental order and ensure you’re compliant with UK law to make bringing your child home as smooth as possible.
Why choose our surrogacy solicitors?
- Compassionate and pragmatic approach to your surrogacy situation
- Highly rated by Chambers Guide and The Legal 500 for family law
- Members of Resolution and fully committed to taking a non-confrontational approach
- Legal experts across the firm to advise on any other matters that arise
Contact a surrogacy solicitor
Our surrogacy solicitors have assisted a number of intended parents on their journey to parenthood. If you’re intending to use surrogacy to start a family or are considering being a surrogate and want to discuss your situation, get in touch online or contact us directly at 0800 422 0123 to arrange a consultation.
