Surrogacy Western Australia
If you are an intended parent living in Western Australia or a surrogate carrying for Western Australia intended parents, the Surrogacy Act 2008 applies to you. You can also keep up with law reform developments in Western Australia.
If you are new to surrogacy, you can read about how to find a surrogate, or how to become a surrogate yourself. You can also download the free Surrogacy Handbook which explains the processes and options. You can also read a broad overview of surrogacy in Australia.
You can also purchase Sarah’s book, More Than Just a Baby: A Guide to Surrogacy for Intended Parents and Surrogates, the only guide to surrogacy Western Australia.
The criteria for surrogacy Western Australia includes:
- That the intended parents have a medical need for surrogacy. Currently, only ‘single women and opposite sex couples’ can access surrogacy in Western Australia. There are law reform developments in Western Australia which will allow gay couples and single men to pursue surrogacy as well hopefully coming in 2021/2022. As a result of the current laws, most same sex male couples in WA go overseas or relocate to another state to pursue surrogacy.
. - That the birth mother is over 25 years of age.
. - The birth mother must have given birth to her own child. This requirement might be dispensed with in exceptional circumstances.
. - At least one of the arranged parents (intended parents) must be over 25 years of age.
. - That the arrangement is altruistic. The intended parents must cover the birth mother’s out of pocket expenses in accordance with the law. Commercial surrogacy is illegal.
. - That the parties have undergone counselling about the arrangement with a qualified counsellor, and completed independent psychological assessments with a psychologist.
. - That the parties have obtained legal advice about the arrangement.
. - There must be a written Surrogacy Agreement signed by all the parties.
. - The arrangement must have been approved by the WA Reproductive Technology Council.
Western Australia intended parents can only seek IVF treatment within WA. This means that the embryo transfer must occur in a WA clinic. You should speak to a lawyer before pursuing treatment options outside of your State.
It is illegal to advertise for surrogacy Western Australia, and it is illegal for someone to publish anything that indicates they are willing to be a surrogate for someone else. Read more about how you can find a surrogate in Australia.
You can read about the steps to follow once you have a surrogate, or consider what you need to do to find a surrogate.
If you are considering becoming a surrogate, you can read more about that here.
If you would like to know more about how surrogacy works in Australia and Western Australia, you might like to download the Surrogacy Handbook, or book in for a consult with Sarah below. You can also hear stories from intended parents and surrogates on the Surrogacy Podcast.
If you’re from another state, you can find all the details of the surrogacy laws that apply to you.
Sarah can assist with surrogacy arrangements across all States, including Western Australia and cross-border arrangements. You can contact me here. All consults are conducted over Zoom and email. You can book in for a consult with me below, and check out the legal services I provide.
Hi! I’m Sarah Jefford (she/her). I’m a family creation lawyer, practising in surrogacy and donor conception arrangements. I’m an IVF mum, an egg donor and a traditional surrogate, and I delivered a baby for two dads in 2018
I advocate for positive, best practice surrogacy arrangements within Australia, and provide support and education to help intended parents make informed decisions when pursuing overseas surrogacy.
