• Before you become pregnant, you will work with a lawyer to enter into a contract (also known as a Surrogacy Agreement) with your Intended Parents.  One of the things your contract will address is the legal parentage of the child.
  • Your contract will provide that, from the very beginning (even before the baby is born) the Intended Parents are the legal parents, and you (and your spouse/partner, if you have one) are not the baby’s parents. You will have no legal or financial responsibility for the child whatsoever.
  • During the pregnancy, you will also work with your lawyer to obtain a pre-birth parentage order, which is an order from the court that confirms that, from the moment the baby is born, the Intended Parents are the legal parents and they are solely responsible for the child.
  • This means that they will make medical decisions for the baby once the baby is born, the baby will go on their health insurance, and they will be listed as the parents on the baby’s birth certificate.