Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
want to know how to go about surrogacy
I am a mother of 4 children who can not have any more children. My boyfriend and i are looking at a surrogate mother to carry our child, what are the laws and what do i have to do to make the process legal so as not to cause any problems. thank you for your time on this matter.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: want to know how to go about surrogacy
Unlike some states, Florida has passed specific statutes which address many surrogacy issues. For a surrogacy contract to be legally enforceable, it should strictly comply with all of the applicable statutes.
If for whatever reason you do not want to have a professional prepare the contract, then I suggest that you visit your local law library (courthouse, law school, etc. . . ) and review the relevant statutes. Your contract should tract the applicable statutes. You probably should also ask the librarian to show you some "practice" books on family law. The contract would have to address the specific type of surrogacy involved (whose sperm/egg).
With so much at stake, it is probably unreasonable to draft the contract on your own. If price is a major consideration, then contact several attorneys. The amount of fees charged can range widely.
You should schedule a formal consultation with a lawyer. A good means of obtaining an attorney referral is by contacting your State's bar association or your local county bar association. They probably have a web site and charge a nominal fee for the referral. Most attorneys either provide a free initial consultation, or charge a nominal fee.
Good Luck, Elliot Jay Goldstein (Attorney with offices in Tampa and St. Petersburg)
The above information is provided as a courtesy, without any consideration and without knowledge of the specific facts. Do not rely on this information. Seek a formal consultation with an attorney.
Re: want to know how to go about surrogacy
You have four children, a boyfriend and want to have a fifth child out of wedlock and don't want "any problems"?