Surrogacy Lawyers - huh, what are they good for? If you answered 'absolutely nothing!' well... fair enough. But bear with me! Read on and hopefully you'll learn more about what surrogacy lawyers are good for, and how you can have [...]
If you're expecting a baby through an Australian surrogacy arrangement, you'll be keen to make sure you have done everything to prepare for the Parentage Order application after the birth. Firstly, if you are not sure what I'm talking about, [...]
Surrogacy Laws Australia Are you exploring your options for growing your family through surrogacy? Below is an overview of Australian surrogacy laws as they stand today. If you are new to surrogacy, you can read more about how to find [...]
So you want to be a surrogate? I remember when I first considered becoming a surrogate - searching everywhere for information and ending up down many an internet rabbit hole. I was excited and nervous; my husband was skeptical. How [...]
Do I qualify for surrogacy in Australia? This post is about qualifying for surrogacy as an intended parent. If you are a woman considering becoming a surrogate, you might be interested in this post. The first step when determining whether, [...]
The Surrogacy Process in Australia is similar in all States, and applies to all arrangements regardless of how the parties know each other or their relationship with each other. Before proceeding past step one, you should find out if you [...]
DIY Parentage Order - You Can Do It! Do you want to do your surrogacy Parentage Order yourself? By the time you have your baby in your arms, you’ve spent considerable money on IVF, legal expenses, counselling and pregnancy and [...]
Will the surrogate ask for money? We know that surrogacy is altruistic in Australia. That means that payment of any type, or a reward or material benefit, is illegal. That includes cash payments as well as large gifts like a [...]
I recently spoke at the Melbourne Law School's Health Law and Ethics Network, on the subject of surrogacy and ethics. Below is my speech. Thank you for having me and giving me the opportunity to speak about my experiences as [...]
Uniform Surrogacy Laws? Yes please! The Council of Attorneys General met today in Adelaide for their regular bi-annual meeting. The Council is made up of the State Attorneys General and the Federal Attorney General, and they talk about all the [...]
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about birth certificates, and donor conception and surrogacy, after attending the AFCC Conference in Sydney and listening to many donor-conceived people speak about their experiences and identity. What is a birth certificate? According to [...]
Surrogacy arrangements in Australia are regulated in each State, which means there are no uniform laws that cover surrogacy across the country. Surrogacy laws in all Australian States and the ACT follow the same basic principles: The Intended Parents must [...]
Surrogacy South Australia - Law Reform Update, June 2020 South Australia has reviewed its surrogacy laws and now enacted the Surrogacy Act 2019. The Act comes into effect from 1 September 2020. This is the first time that South Australia [...]
The surrogacy laws and other laws surrounding children, adoption and parentage is complex. There are several laws that cover children, and the Family Law Act dedicates almost 200 pages to clauses regarding children’s issues. There’s also many cases that give [...]
Somewhere in the Top 10 Questions about Surrogacy is: Why aren’t surrogacy agreements enforceable? The answer is both simple and complex, and comes back to two primary concepts. Firstly, the rights and best interests of the child are paramount. You [...]
Do you need an Australian lawyer to assist you with your overseas surrogacy journey? The short answer is, mostly not. You can engage a lawyer in your destination country, who will guide you through the Surrogacy and Donor Agreements. You [...]
Surrogate Age Limits There are some surrogate age limits applied to surrogacy in Australia, and each State has it's own requirements and restrictions. In most States, the surrogate must be over 25 years of age. In the ACT, the surrogate [...]
People entering into commercial surrogacy overseas are often anxious to know about returning home to Australia with their baby, any consequences, and whether they need to get court orders when they return to Australia. Parentage Orders are made to transfer [...]
After a baby is born through an Australian surrogacy arrangement, a Parentage Order is required to transfer parentage from the surrogate and her partner to the intended parents. If you are nearing the end of the surrogacy pregnancy, you will [...]
Parentage Orders are made to transfer parentage from a surrogate and her partner, to the intended parents. These are made in State Courts. These Orders provide for the Birth Certificate to be changed, removing the surrogate and her partner, and [...]
Surrogacy in the Australian Capital Territory is regulated by the Parentage Act 2004. If you are an intended parent living in the ACT, then the surrogacy laws that apply to you are those of the Australian Capital Territory. This is [...]
Surrogacy in New South Wales is regulated by the Surrogacy Act 2010. If you are an intended parent living in NSW, then the surrogacy laws that apply to you are those of New South Wales. This is the case, even [...]
In the Northern Territory, surrogacy is neither legal or illegal. This is because there are no surrogacy laws in the Northern Territory at all. All the States and the ACT have their own surrogacy laws, but the NT has none. [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Sydney Sarah Jefford is a surrogacy lawyer assisting people in Sydney and across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, egg donor and a surrogate, and delivered a baby for two dads in 2018. If you are entering into [...]
If you are an intended parent living in Queensland or a surrogate carrying for Queensland intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2010 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in Queensland includes: That the intended parents have a social or medical [...]
Surrogacy in South Australia. If you are an intended parent living in South Australia or a surrogate carrying for South Australian intended parents, the new Surrogacy Bill 2019 applies to you and will come into effect from 1 September 2020. The [...]
If you are an intended parent living in Tasmania or a surrogate carrying for Tasmanian intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2012 applies to you. The criteria for surrogacy in Tasmania includes: That the intended parents have a social or medical [...]
Surrogacy is legal in Victoria, and every State in Australia. Victorian surrogacy arrangements are regulated by the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008. The law was reviewed in 2018-9, and expected to be reformed in the coming year. Read more about [...]
Surrogacy Lawyer Melbourne Sarah Jefford is a family and surrogacy lawyer in Melbourne, practising across Australia. Sarah was an IVF mum, egg donor and a surrogate, and delivered a baby for two dads in 2018. If you are entering into a [...]
I'm a law nerd really, so the idea of law reform and particularly those laws that affect me, is pretty exciting. The Victorian Review of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act, has finally concluded, and the Report released this week. Recommendations [...]
Conception, Consent and Death I've been thinking a lot about death lately. A few things have led to this - watching Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds on the ABC, and donating my eggs again. Life, death, and taxes [...]
Gift Giving in Surrogacy Arrangements One of the first questions asked by surrogates and intended parents, is whether the intended parents can give gifts to their surrogate, or her family members, without compromising the surrogacy agreement or the Parentage Order [...]
There are such a low number of surrogacy births in Australia each year (somewhere between 60 and 80 in total), that it is no surprise that many hospitals will only rarely come across a surrogacy birth. Some hospital surrogacy policies [...]
Sperm Donor or Dad? If you are a single woman or in a same sex couple considering growing your family through sperm donation, you may have followed the case of Masson & Parsons and Anors with interest. The family law [...]
Sperm donation options in Australia vary from friends and family, to online connections or clinic-recruited donors. If you watched 60 Minutes last year, you'd know all about Joe Donor - the American man who claims to have donated sperm to over [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 71: Ric. Ric is a single man pursuing surrogacy in Western Australia to grow his family. Unfortunately, the surrogacy laws in Western Australia prohibit single men and same sex male couples from pursuing surrogacy within [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 72: Amber, Jake and Aaron. This team broke new ground, becoming the first team to proceed with a surrogacy arrangement for gay intended dads in South Australia. You might be surprised that this was a [...]
The Australian Surrogacy Podcast Episode 78: Anne. Anne (not her real name) became a mother through an unconventional arrangement with her neighbours. It was similar to surrogacy - and similar to adoption. The team didn't know anything about surrogacy laws [...]
