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.

Comprehensive guidance from expert surrogacy solicitors

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.

The team is great. They communicated well and very effectively and they took a lot of ownership of the case.

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 work through any issues and resolve matters, whether this is 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.

How we help our clients

Planning a surrogacy journey and navigating the various options available

Immigration law issues if your child is being born overseas

Estate planning

Putting documents in place to ensure your child’s care should the worst happen

Resolving issues surrounding legal parenthood by applying for a parental order

The breakdown of a surrogacy arrangement

Useful resources

FAQS – Surrogacy law in the uk

The level of commitment of the team is consistent and the fact that they are constantly on hand to give advice gives me complete confidence that they are getting things done.

An excellent team of lawyers who are steeped in family law, know how the court system works and are able to give spot-on advice.

Expertise, empathy and endeavour…top notch.

The group has notable strength in surrogacy law.

Recent work highlights

Cross-border surrogacy planning

Supporting the intended parents based overseas in a case where the surrogate lived in England. Careful advice was required at the outset and before fertility treatment to ensure the child would be protected both in the UK and the intended parents’ country.

Parental order for non-UK parents

Assisting non-UK-born parents whose son was born in England, guiding them through the parental order process. We helped establish their domicile of choice in England to ensure they were eligible for a parental order for their child.

International case for same-sex parents

Representing a high-profile, same-sex couple in an international surrogacy case and successfully obtaining parental orders for them from the High Court.

Surrogacy dispute in the spotlight

Acting for an intended parent, and managing the media interest, in proceedings heard in the High Court following the breakdown of the surrogacy process.

UK and overseas surrogacy arrangements

Advising intended parents considering surrogacy and providing guidance on their options in the UK and overseas, including facilitating entry to the UK for the children.