Family Law & Fertility Law Blog | Louisa Ghevaert Associates

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.

Life, family and fertility in 2021

As we start 2021, many of us are thinking about what will happen over the next 12 months and wondering what it will mean for our health, jobs, relationships, families and hopes for a baby. Despite the grim situation caused by the ongoing pandemic in the UK at the moment and our third lockdown, there is hope for the future and that is a message that we all need to focus on and hold firm. Whilst jobs, colleagues and wealth can come and go, time spent with our relatives, children, family and loved ones is very precious.

Podcast: The Intricacies of Fertility Preservation

Louisa Ghevaert is delighted to collaborate with leading fertility lifestyle platform Ribbon Box founded by Eloise Edington to produce a podcast entitled "The Intricacies of Fertility Preservation". Eloise explores with Louisa why people preserve their fertility, how demand for fertility preservation has increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this has had on family building and the fertility treatment sector, as well as the legal implications and need for fertility law reform.

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