Understand, Sign And Use Your Surrogacy Agreement
The idea of fulfilling your dreams of parenthood or fertility through surrogacy can be both exciting and daunting. Regardless of whether you are an intended parent or a would-be surrogate, you naturally have many questions as well as many fervent hopes. Reassurance for each person in the surrogacy equation is essential as you move forward toward bringing a child into the world in a very calculated way.
At the Shapiro Law Firm, family law attorney Spenser R. Housewright has a heart and talent for working with intended parents, surrogates and fertility service providers. She also has an extensive background in traditional family law, including adoption, which helps her guide clients to a clear understanding of parental rights and related issues that surrogacy will touch on.
Crossing The T’s And Dotting The I’s
To protect yourself and prepare to honor your commitment with transparency, you will need a surrogacy contract or agreement. This is a legal requirement in Texas and must be completed at least two weeks before the implantation of an embryo in a surrogate. Your surrogacy contract should spell out:
- Financial aspects, including provisions for reimbursement of funds spent for medical care, food, maternity clothes for the surrogate and more
- The applicability of a pre-birth order regarding parental status, if you are creating one
- Insurance coverage
At the same time that a surrogacy agreement is signed, your attorney can also review pertinent facts to ensure that there is no misrepresentation of the surrogate’s health history. If an egg donor is involved, similar screening of the genetic mother should also serve to prevent trouble down the road.
Sometimes the term “preplanned adoption” is used in connection with surrogacy agreements. Attorney Spenser Housewright will guide you through the process to make sure all legal requirements are met.
Turn To The Shapiro Law Firm
Get personalized counsel regarding the abovementioned aspects of surrogacy agreements and egg donor issues. Contact attorney Housewright to discuss the next steps. Call 972-423-0033 or send an email.