Surrogacy law

Penningtons Manches Cooper’s specialist surrogacy solicitors provide a personalised approach for intended parents planning a surrogacy arrangement, both in the UK and overseas. Our strength is our ability to work as a team to address the diverse range of issues raised when deciding to have children using a surrogate.

From our offices in London, Guildford, Oxford and Reading, our dedicated lawyers offer high quality, accessible legal advice to clients, wherever they are based. We take pride in our pragmatic and creative approach to cases involving surrogacy law and will ensure that you have a detailed understanding of your surrogacy journey, delivering the support and protection you need to secure your family’s status post-birth.

It is essential to obtain legal advice at the very outset of any surrogacy journey, domestic or international. Our surrogacy solicitors aim to provide comprehensive guidance during the planning stages and throughout the surrogacy process to ensure you feel completely in control.

If you are considering an overseas surrogacy arrangement, immigration law advice is essential. We can involve our proactive and solutions-focused immigration team so that you have a clear plan in place to travel home. The arrangements will depend on the country in which your child is born. Our immigration lawyers can develop an appropriate strategy and talk you through obtaining British nationality and UK passports.

Following the birth of your child, we can assist you in applying to the Family Court for your parental order so that you are recognised as your child’s legal parent or parents. We can also help you with alternative applications if necessary.

Due to our reputation as one of the UK’s leading family law firms, we are regularly asked to speak to the media in relation to surrogacy issues. We are active on Instagram – @thesurrogacysolicitor seeks to raise awareness of surrogacy and make information more accessible for intended parents and surrogates. Our solicitors also speak at various surrogacy events including at the AGM of the leading UK surrogacy agency COTS and at information days organised by Surrogacy UK.

We are able to assist where things have not gone to plan, and where there is potentially a dispute around your surrogacy arrangement. Our surrogacy solicitors have experience of supporting clients through this process and offer legal advice to assist in resolving matters, whether this be in the Family Court arena or through alternative methods of dispute resolution.

We offer an online system that can help our clients to understand their legal position, prepare for their first meeting, and provide us with the information required to maximise the value we can deliver. We invite you to get started online.