Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

Surrogacy Law Update: British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2021

Louisa Ghevaert will join a panel of expert speakers and deliver a surrogacy law update at The British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2021. This annual training event, which is part of The BFS’ virtual study week, will highlight the complexities of modern families and address the clinical and legal issues, regulatory changes and wider aspects associated with creating modern families through fertility treatment, egg and sperm donation and surrogacy.

When infertility strikes and fertility treatment fails: what’s next?

Infertility and difficulties conceiving a child can make you feel anxious, frustrated, angry and grief-stricken. It can leave you with unanswered questions. Why can’t I conceive? Will I ever have a baby? It can also leave you feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed and stuck in a rut. These feelings can be compounded by the daunting financial costs of fertility treatment and the complex legal issues associated with assisted conception. This in turn can make it a struggle to know what to do and how best to achieve a much-wanted child.

Surrogacy under strain

Pre-pandemic, we saw an upwards trend in surrogacy and increasing numbers of parental orders being granted in England and Wales. In 2011, a total of 117 parental orders were granted, increasing to 374 in 2018 and 444 in 2019. However, latest statistics released by the Ministry of Justice in December 2020 show that just 275 parental orders were granted in England and Wales for the first three quarters of 2020. This suggests a potential decrease on 2019 figures on a pro rata basis of nearly a fifth (approximately 18%) and a potential downwards trend for the first time over the last decade. Will surrogacy continue to remain under pressure in 2021?

Times Radio Interview: Single Parent Surrogacy and Surrogacy Law Reform

During a Times Radio interview with John Pienaar on 28 January 2021, Louisa was pleased to discuss single parent surrogacy and the ongoing need for wider surrogacy law reform in the UK. This follows news of the first single man to become a solo parent through surrogacy and egg donation with not-for-profit surrogacy agency Surrogacy UK. David Watkins, a 42 year old teacher from Southampton, successfully became a father with the help of surrogate Faye Spreadbury from Leicester.

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