How Does Surrogacy Work in Berkeley, California?
Berkeley is a city in northern California known for its intellectuality, mainly due to the University of California and its botanical gardens & hall of science. But the city is also known for its culture, especially through its live music venues and famous record store, paired with good eats.
Because Berkeley provides a fun cultural and educational place to live and raise a family, the surrogacy industry is alive and well here. Los Angeles Surrogacy provides agency guidance, screening & matching services, and both legal & medical partnerships to our intended parent clients in Berkeley, California.
Laws & Legal Information
There are things you should know about California’s surrogacy laws before beginning your journey to parenthood via surrogacy. We believe California is the best place in the world to pursue surrogacy.
The Pre-Birth Order
This contract makes the intended parents the legal parents in the eyes of the law at the moment of delivery. This means that the second the baby is born, the intended parents are able to make medical decisions for the child. The pre-birth order constitutes that nothing will change this once it is signed.
The intended parents will also be automatically listed on the baby’s birth certificate once the pre-birth order is signed. No additional paperwork will be needed for the intended parents to alter the birth certificate or for them to take the baby home.
Separate Legal Representation
California law also requires each party to have their own, separate lawyers representing them. This ensures that in any circumstances that should arise, intended parents and surrogates both have fair representation.
Los Angeles Surrogacy, with your legal reps, educate both parties on every paragraph of the contract they are signing. This understanding is crucial to knowing what’s required of you, and what benefits you’ll receive.
If either party wants to negotiate anything on the contract, we are more than open to doing so. The surrogacy agreement must be signed by both parties and notarized before the process begins.
Outsiders
Intended parents that are not from California, but rather are flying in from a different state or country to pursue your surrogacy journey in Cali, you will be protected by the same laws and regulations as if you were a local. The only difference may be extra required paperwork for your newborn to travel out of the country, if your country requires that.
For a full overview of why we believe California is the best place in the world to pursue surrogacy, please read here.
Surrogacy Costs for Intended Parents
The Base Compensation
A surrogate’s base compensation usually begins at $30,000, but can be higher if she has experience. The embryo transfer procedure has a higher chance of success if it has been successful for her in the past.
A surrogate also receives more pay if they require a C-section due to the recovery period required for that, or if she carries multiples (like twins or triplets).
For more information about surrogacy compensation, read here.
Agency Fee
The agency fee covers all of the services that Los Angeles Surrogacy is able to provide for our intended parents.
Full Coordination
At the start of your time with us, you will be assigned:
- A case manager, who will act as your point of contact and will literally manage your surrogacy case
- A senior program coordinator
- An attorney
- An accountant, if applicable
You will get to know these people well and they will help you through various different parts of the surrogacy venture. Part of your agency fee is to pay for their work.
The agency fee also covers scheduling, which most importantly includes medical appointment scheduling and coordination with your surrogate partner. We can recommend the top fertility clinics right in (or around) Berkeley and you can choose the one that is closest to you or your surrogate, or best suits your needs.
We are also able to assist with travel and accommodations for our intended parents who are traveling in from out of state or out of the country.
Screening & Matching
Los Angeles Surrogacy conducts a thorough screening procedure on each prospective surrogate to be sure they are a good fit to work with our intended parent clients. We take into consideration:
- Health history
- Current lifestyle choices, including exercise & diet
- Results of the physical and mental wellness examinations conducted by our medical professional partners
- Background check results
- Living situation
- At-home support system
We then have conversations with our surrogates and our intended parents about their preferences regarding communication frequency and medium (such as text, Zoom, in-person chats, etc.) as well as about travel and any other preferences they may have regarding their own journeys.
We use these preferences to match our intended parent & surrogate pairings.
Trust Account Management
Your money that pays both the agency fee and your surrogate partner is held in escrow and paid in installments at certain milestones throughout the surrogacy process. An accountant will be assigned as a member of your team to ensure your money is safe, secure, and paid in timely manners.
Legal Fees
Legal payments will cover the job of your lawyer, as well as your surrogate’s lawyer. It covers:
- Drafting and negotiating your surrogacy contract
- Establishment of Intended Parent Rights
- Obtaining the baby’s legal documents, including birth certificate (and passport for international cases)
Reimbursements
You will most likely be responsible for reimbursing your surrogate partner for things like maternity clothing, prenatal vitamins, pumps, etc. She will keep the receipts to ensure the correct payment. A limit number can be discussed and even added to the surrogate agreement contracts if the intended parents feel best in doing so.
Why Los Angeles Surrogacy?
With over 15 years working in the surrogacy field, our staff members are industry leaders. We are partnered with the best of the best legal and medical teams, and we have a particular passion for helping international individuals or couples become parents via surrogacy in California.
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate or an intended parent in Berkeley, California, please reach out to us here. We look forward to working with you!