There are many reasons why growing families choose to work with a gestational surrogate, including LGBTQ families and fertilities issues . No matter the reason, when choosing the surrogate path to grow your family, there are questions to ask your surrogacy lawyer before continuing with the process.
The surrogates themselves will also have questions to ask their surrogacy lawyer in order to protect their interests throughout the process.
Abbie Obenour at The Obenour Legal Group is an experienced and competent surrogacy attorney who will help clients through the surrogacy and parentage process.
Without further ado, here are five questions to ask your surrogacy lawyer.
What are the surrogacy laws in Ohio?
From state to state, the laws and regulations around surrogacy differ. It’s important to understand what the laws are in your state and how those laws may affect your surrogacy contract and the ensuing gestational period. This is one of the most important questions to ask your surrogacy lawyer so you can understand what you may face.
What is a surrogate contract?
A surrogate contract outlines the surrogacy transaction, the obligations of both parties before, during, and after the gestational period, the intended parents’ rights, and the relinquishment of the surrogate’s parental rights. This is an important document that must be completed and signed in full in order to have a legally binding surrogate process, and must be complete before any emoryos are transferred into the gestational surrogate.
Can the surrogate decide to keep the baby?
This is also one of the most important questions to ask your surrogacy lawyer. Many intended parents may become concerned that the surrogate develops a bond to the child during gestation and may want to keep the baby after delivery. Ask your surrogacy lawyer this question in order to understand your parental rights to the child in a surrogacy process.
How much do surrogacy lawyers’ services cost?
When consulting with a surrogacy lawyer, ask this question in order to have an understanding of the financial requirements to have a successful surrogacy contract. The fees vary from attorney to attorney and intended parents may have to shop around to find an attorney that they connect with and at the right cost.
What happens after the delivery?
When can you get a court order establishing the intended parents as the legal parents? What happens if you cannot obtain that order prior to the birth? What if the hospital wants to discharge the baby to the gestational surrogate instead of the inded parents? It’s important to go over these details with your surrogacy attorney before signing the contract.
If you are considering using a surrogate to grow your family or have been considering becoming a surrogate to help another family, consult with Abbie Obenour at The Obenour Legal Group. Having a competent and experienced surrogacy attorney to guide you through the process will greatly assist you in protecting your rights and understanding the legal process. Contact Abbie Obenour to schedule a consultation.