While there are many women who would like to be surrogates, either because they have a desire to help someone or because they’re looking for the financial assistance they can receive for their effort, many may not be physically or emotionally qualified. The criminal and social background assessment, medical testing and mental health evaluation are all critical to determining whether the surrogate can become pregnant and safely carry a pregnancy to term. For this reason, finding a gestational surrogate who is qualified, whom you trust and with whom you have shared expectations, can be complicated and time-consuming. Fortunately, there are resources and professionals available to help you find a who is qualified and a good match for you both.
While it’s impossible to put a specific dollar amount on the surrogacy process, it’s useful to understand the services you’ll be paying for in connection with any surrogacy arrangement. If you’re working with a surrogacy matching program, they’ll coordinate most of the required services and provide you with cost estimates for those service providers. If you’re pursuing the surrogacy process without a matching program, you’ll be contracting directly with those providers. The fees charged will vary depending on the professionals you hire, the surrogate’s agreement upon compensation, whether you have to purchase medical insurance for the surrogate, and the location where the services will be provided.
In the meantime, we’ve provided you with some information below as to the kind of expenses you can expect to pay in connection with your surrogacy journey.
If you choose to work with a surrogacy matching program, they’re charge a fee for their services. These fees are substantial and it’s important to do your homework before committing to a particular agency to ensure that their services are within your price expectations.
In every surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate must undergo a comprehensive medical assessment and a psychological evaluation to determine whether she has the mental and emotional capacity to carry and relinquish a child to another person. The Intended parents are also typically required undergo a joint counseling session with the surrogate and her spouse or intimate partner, to ensure that everyone is prepared for the journey ahead.
The professionals you should expect to hire for this process include:
Payments made on behalf of the surrogate include — but are not limited to:
If you are attempting this process without a Matching Program it may take you longer to find someone who’s qualified, shares your surrogacy preferences and goals, and who is a good match for you. Because a professional won’t be guiding the process, it will be your responsibility to ensure the surrogate has a lifestyle conducive to a healthy pregnancy. You and the surrogate will need to determine the amount of her living expenses or compensation and you’ll need to arrange for her medical and mental health screening. Before making a commitment to one another it is critically important for you to undergo a joint counseling sessions with a therapist specializing in third party reproduction.
The intended parents are responsible for paying for the legal services provided to both themselves and the surrogate in connection with a surrogacy arrangement. The attorney will draft the surrogacy agreement and well as the documentation required to obtain the pre-birth order of parentage.
Although you are paying the surrogate’s legal fees and for her prenatal care and delivery, the professionals providing those services work for the surrogate and their duty of loyalty is to her alone.
Feel free to call us to learn more about the cost of gestational surrogacy in NJ and NY. We are happy to provide you with the estimated cost for our legal fees, what services are included in those fees, and what other services you’ll need in connection with your plan. You can reach us by calling at 914-779-1050 or by completing our online form.
