16 September 2026
On 15 September 2026 Louisa Ghevaert joined a panel of expert speakers and delivered a surrogacy law update as part of the British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2026. This annual training event forms part of the British Fertility Society’s flagship in person Study Week. It offered latest insights and training for fertility clinicians and professionals across a range of family building options including donor sperm pathways, egg donation in practice, trans-inclusive fertility care, surrogacy, co-parenting, cross-border fertility care as well as sessions on counselling, patient voices and legal issues.
Images: Carole-Gilling Smith, Founder & Medical Director the Agora Fertility Clinic, Danya Harris, the HFEA and Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates
Increasing numbers of people are creating families through fertility treatment, donor conception and surrogacy. These family building pathways represent an important part of modern fertility practice and they create a range of issues due to complex legal frameworks, evolving regulation and limited availability of gamete donors and surrogates. Accordingly, the British Fertility Society’s Creating Modern Families Day 2026 brought together a panel of multi-disciplinary experts who addressed the rapidly developing landscape, legal complexities and practical challenges associated with family creation through fertility treatment, surrogacy, donor conception for single, heterosexual, same-sex and transgender patients. It also brought into focus the significance of long-term research, counselling and patient support for parents, children and families created through surrogacy and donor conception.
Images: Dr Orestis Tsonis, Specialty doctor in Assisted Conception, Fertility Preservation Service at Guy’s And St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Mr Tim Bracewell-Milnes, Consultant Gynaecologist and Sub-Specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at The Lister Fertility Clinic
Mr James Nicopoullos, Consultant Gynaecologist and Sub-Specialist in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery at The Lister Fertility Clinic
Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates
Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to deliver a surrogacy law update which addressed a range of issues including:
- The current status of surrogacy law and reform in the UK.
- Recent trends and numbers of people undertaking surrogacy in the UK and overseas.
- Recent surrogacy case law rulings in England and Wales including welfare of the child, authorisation of payments, public policy, adoption.
Images: Jo Davidson, the Donor Conception Network, Hayley King, All Things Donor Conception
Ippokratis Saris, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and the Director of King’s Fertility and Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates
It was lovely to connect with colleagues and focus on best practices. Thank you to the British Fertility Society for an excellent programme, informative discussions and the opportunity for collective learning.
Images: Louisa Ghevaert, Suzanne Price, Consultant Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Louisa Ghevaert, CEO & Director Louisa Ghevaert Associates
Sarah Norcross, Director Progress Education Trust
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Fertility treatment, donor conception, surrogacy, posthumous conception and modern family building creates complex issues from a legal and practical perspective.This makes effective legal strategies important to effectively manage preconception and fertility, pregnancy, birth, family life during and after death.
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