Surrogacy, Assisted Reproduction & Same Sex Parenting

With modern advances in fertility treatment, increasing numbers of children are born as a result of assisted reproduction, whether by way of IVF and/or donor gametes, or surrogacy. Whilst fertility treatment in UK clinics is strictly licensed, some couples (and individuals) make use of more flexible arrangements for surrogacy and fertility treatment available overseas, or adopt more “informal” arrangements for sperm donation and/or surrogacy in the UK, whether through family and friends, or the internet.

The legal consequences are not always straightforward, particularly where there are international arrangements and/or informal agreements. Members of the team have a wealth of expertise to assist in areas ranging from establishing legal parentage and obtaining parental orders, to advising on the consequences following relationship breakdown, whether that be in respect of arrangements for the children, or the use of stored embryos.