In big news for our family, we are overseas for an extended holiday! We’ve been planning for over a year, we’ve taken the kids out of school and we are in Europe!

Very important: my office is closed for all of September and most of October.

We are starting the trip in England where my family comes from. We’re spending time in London, Hertfordshire, York and Alnwick, before crossing the border into Scotland and visiting Edinburgh, Balintore Castle, Inverness and Oban. And then we head to Spain and Portugal before stopping in Italy on our way home.

I am most excited about the food in Spain and Portugal, and practising my Spanish. Yo hablo un poco de espanol! I have been practising on Duolingo for the past 6 months and should at least be able to ask for directions to el bano (the toilet!) and order un cafe sin leche (coffee, no milk!).

While I am gone I expect a few questions, which I have helpfully answered below:

Will you be taking on new clients in September and October?

No, my office will be closed until mid-October.  I will not be scheduling any legal advice consults.

When is the last time we can get an appointment with you?

All August appointments are now booked. The next available appointments are in October or November.

Can you suggest a lawyer to help us out while you’re gone?

For Australian surrogacy arrangements, you can contact the very awesome Simone Cureton – a surrogate and a lawyer too!

Our baby is due! Can you help us with our parentage order?

I can assist with your parentage order when I return from Leave. Read more about preparing for the parentage order.

Will you post photos of your trip?

My Instagram will become a travel blog. Sorry, not sorry.

What if we need legal advice while you’re away?

I’m sorry, unless you are an existing client then I am unlikely to be able to help. However, 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 find more information by reading articles in the Blog and by listening to more episodes of the Surrogacy Podcast.

Can we book in for advice for when you return?

Yes! You can book in for a consult with me below, and check out the legal services I provide.

For some holiday reading, you can buy my book, More Than Just a Baby: A Guide to Surrogacy for Intended Parents and Surrogates, the only guide to surrogacy in Australia.