How much are legal fees if a friend is willing to be your surrogate?
by Nicole
(California)
If my friend is willing to be my surrogate for no compensation, how much (generally) are legal fees? And would her insurance cover the pregnancy costs and i would just pay their co-payments or do you have to pay all medical expenses out of pocket? Also, a cousin of my husband has also offered to be a surrogate, but she does not have any kids. I didn't think it was a good idea, but all the family feels it's fine. Is that even an option with her not having any of her own children? Does the law allow it?
Reply by Rayven
If your friend is going to become your surrogate mother and not charge you any fees, all the rest of the surrogacy fees, minus her compensation itself, will remain the same. Your legal fees will not be altered. You will need to check with a surrogacy attorney in the state the baby will be born in to determine costs.
If her insurance covers the surrogate pregnancy then yes, you would pay deductibles and copays, and everything for the baby once he is born. If her insurance does NOT cover the surrogacy, then you would pay for another policy for her and/or everything out of pocket.
As to your cousin, who has not had children, some clinics will not work with surrogate mothers who do not have children. Check with your clinic. Generally, a woman who desires to become a surrogate mother must have children, but sometimes exceptions are made for family members. The positives in this situation are that you are all family, and know one another very well. The negatives are that since she has had no children, there is really no way to determine if she personally has any fertility problems herself, or if she would have difficult pregnancies/births. She could lose her ability to have her own children by helping you (it has happened, though rare). She could become emotionally attached to the baby; all this is unknown.
If you decide to go with your cousin, make sure you all get counseling prior to, during, and after the surrogacy.
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