{"id":2826,"date":"2016-03-15T11:24:06","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T16:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbfamilylaw.com\/?p=2826"},"modified":"2023-08-02T09:54:08","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T14:54:08","slug":"texas-surrogacy-agreements-require-agreement-many-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbfamilylaw.com\/blogs\/texas-surrogacy-agreements-require-agreement-many-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Surrogacy Agreements Require Agreement by Many Parties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The overall concept of surrogacy has been around for a relatively short period of time, but the process has given new hope to parents who are unable to conceive or carry children and same-sex couples. The exact number of babies born through surrogacy to U.S. families each year is not known because most surrogacy pregnancies are not yet tracked. However, it is estimated that the number has quadrupled over the last five to eight years as more and more people are learning that surrogacy is an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While families see surrogacy primarily as a joyful means for beginning the parenting process, it also involves a detailed legal process. On the surface, it would seem that a surrogacy agreement might involve only the birth mother and the parties who intend to raise the child. However, each Goranson Bain Ausley attorney who assists with these agreements can attest to the fact that they affect more than just these primary parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gestational Agreements Affect Numerous Parties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under a surrogacy agreement, also referred to as a gestational agreement, a woman agrees to undergo an assisted reproduction process, typically in vitro fertilization (IVF), and then relinquish all parental rights when the child is born. The names of the intended parents, who must be married to each other, appear on the birth certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the birth mother and intended parents are not necessarily the only people whose parental rights are affected. This is why the Texas Uniform Parentage Ac<\/a>t requires agreement by every individual involved, including the following, where applicable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n