Surrogacy - Pros and Cons for All Involved
Surrogate arrangements require a formal agreement between the parties. These agreements can cover everything from a parent’s right to attend prenatal doctor appointments to compensation to termination of the pregnancy. The legal agreements are essential if you want to ensure the protection of your rights and interests in the matter as the intended parents and for the surrogate.
As with all family law agreements, the surrogate arrangement must be approved by the court. The court holds the right to modify the agreement to better serve the best interest of the child. So long as the agreement is reasonable, the court generally lets it stand.
Some couples in Texas who wish to become parents may have no choice but to do so through surrogacy. Whether there are fertility issues that make it necessary, or the couple is LGBTQ+, it’s a personal decision to become parents using a surrogate. Of course, there are certain challenges surrogacy can bring.
Deciding to go with surrogacy to become parents is never something taken lightly. There are many factors to consider when choosing this route. There are potential risks with a natural pregnancy, but when you have a surrogate, there are additional issues such as in vitro fertilization or IVF and legal aspects and contracts to consider. Couples choosing to use a surrogate also have to understand the emotional and medical risks of the surrogate too.
What are some pros and cons of surrogacy for the surrogate?
There are pros for a surrogate to become a surrogate:
- Giving Back: most surrogates choose surrogacy as a way to give back to someone. There is often a sense of pride and satisfaction to help couples become parents.
- Pregnancy: Surrogates often enjoy being pregnant, but are not necessarily ready or wanting to add to their own families. Being a surrogate allows them to experience the joys of pregnancy again without the lifelong commitment of being a parent.
- Protection: Surrogates enter a legally binding contract that outlines their expectations and responsibilities clearly for all parties involved in the process.
There are some cones for a surrogate to be a surrogate:
- Time Commitment: between the initial screen appointment to the birth of the child this process is very time-consuming and demanding on the surrogate.
- Physically Challenging: with all the physical changes, screenings, fertility treatments and so much more the physical demands can be a challenge for the surrogate as well.
What are some pros and cons of surrogacy for intended parents?
There are many advantages of surrogacy for intended parents.
- Creates a family: for those who have struggled for years surrogacy can be a successful resolution to create a family.
- Genetic connections: the use of a surrogate often allows for one or both parents to maintain a biological relationship with their child.
- Involvement: the intended parents are often involved with attending key appointments, present for milestones in pregnancy, and allows for the parents to be present at birth.
There are some cones of surrogacy for intended parents.
- Complicated: there are complex medical procedures that occur to establish a baby with a surrogate. The legal process can be complicated and must be approved by a court in Texas.
- Expensive: the costs between the medical procedures and legal paperwork can be very expensive.
- Involvement: the intended parents are often involved with attending key appointments, present for milestones in pregnancy, and allows for the parents to be present at birth.
Surrogacy is a unique experience for the surrogate and the intended parents. Close bonds are often developed with the surrogate and intended parents through this process. Let the Heather Hudson Law Firm help you protect the legal part of your journey. Contact us today!
