Family Building Options & Law
There are now more ways to build a family than ever before including:
- Natural conception.
- Assisted conception by private arrangement.
- Fertility treatment at a fertility clinic.
- Donation and co-parenting
- Surrogacy.
- Blended family (new partner, step-parent, additional children).
- Adoption.
The creation of modern families using assisted conception takes many forms including: fertility treatment (e.g. IVF, IUI or ICSI), donor conception (known and arms-length), intra-family donation, surrogacy, co-parenting and posthumous conception.
The law is complex and it can create unintended legal outcomes. It can also leave patients, parents, children, families, donors and surrogates without legal status and protection.
We provide bespoke legal solutions that align with your needs and wishes. We operate at the forefront of law and policy in the UK and internationally and our preeminent legal expertise delivers innovative and cutting-edge results.
If you require legal assistance or wish to discuss your situation please get in touch
enquiries@louisaghevaertassociates.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7965 8399
How we can help
Our legal services include
- Legal packages
- Bespoke legal advice for your situation, needs and wishes
- Preparation of legal documentation
- Legal support and representation in court proceedings
Package One
Family building consultation - options and law
This provides initial expert legal and practical advice to help maximise a positive and successful family building outcome. It assists those who are experiencing difficulties conceiving, solo prospective parents, same-sex couples and those with complex personal situations. It:
- Provides bespoke advice on family creation options and accompanying fertility and family law issues.
- Helps proactive and informed decision making from the outset.
- Assists effective navigation of the family building process and legal framework.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Answers questions to provide peace of mind.
- Creates a tailored family building legal and practical action plan.
Note:
This initial consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on fertility and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Three
Donor conception – family building legal review
This provides initial expert legal and practical advice to support people considering donor conception. It:
- Provides bespoke legal advice on donor conception (including legal parentage, parental responsibility and legal and practical implications arising).
- Provides legal and practical advice on donor information rights.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Addresses benefits of a bespoke known donor agreement (if applicable).
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
- Creates a tailored donor conception legal and practical action plan.
Note:
This initial consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on donor conception and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Five
Known donor – family building legal review
This provides initial expert legal and practical advice to support people undertaking known donation. It:
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Addresses benefits and contents of a bespoke known donor agreement.
- Provides bespoke legal advice on known donation (including legal parentage and parental responsibility and legal and practical implications arising).
- Provides legal and practical advice on donor information and rights.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
- Creates a tailored known donation legal and practical action plan.
Note:
This initial consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on known donation and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include the preparation of a known donor agreement. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Seven
Co-parenting legal starter kit
This legal package provides the following initial legal information and documentation on co-parenting to help prospective co-parents:
- Co-parenting legal information sheet.
- Co-parenting questionnaire.
- Co-parenting agreement template
Note:
This legal package only provides initial generic legal information and documentation on co-parenting and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not constitute the provision of specialist, bespoke or specific legal advice in individual cases by Louisa Ghevaert Associates. The co-parenting agreement is a generic template only (for initial consideration and discussion purposes) and should not be relied upon as a legally binding document. Terms and conditions apply. For legal advice and further assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Nine
Co-parenting agreement and legal review
This legal package includes a legal review meeting and the preparation of a bespoke co-parenting agreement. It:
- Prepares a bespoke co-parenting agreement.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Provides bespoke legal advice on co-parenting (including legal parentage and parental responsibility and legal and practical implications arising).
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
Note:
This consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on co-parenting and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions) and preparation of a co-parenting agreement. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Eleven
International surrogacy legal review
This provides initial expert legal advice to support people undertaking international surrogacy. It:
- Generic legal advice on surrogacy law and policy internationally.
- Generic legal advice on citizenship, nationality and immigration.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Provides legal advice on UK surrogacy law and its international application (including legal parentage, parental responsibility, a child’s upbringing and legal and practical implications arising).
- Provides legal advice on the court process for an international parental order application (and other family orders as required).
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal questions.
Note:
This consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on surrogacy and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Thirteen
Adoption legal review
This helps those looking to adopt a child, to include: step-parent, non birth parent or family member. It:
- Provides legal advice on adoption law in the UK.
- Provides advice on the legal process for an adoption order.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal and practical questions.
Note
It only provides initial specialist advice on adoption law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not provide legal advice and support with public adoption law or legal proceedings. It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Two
Fertility treatment - family building legal review (UK)
This provides initial expert legal and practical advice to support people considering fertility treatment at a clinic. It:
- Helps patients understand and effectively deal with HFEA Consent Forms at a UK fertility clinic.
- Helps patients give and manage informed legal (as opposed to medical) consent to treatment, storage and use of gametes.
- Advises on legal parentage, parental responsibility and the legal and practical issues and implications arising.
- Addresses legal and practical issues around fertility maximisation.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
Note:
This initial consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on fertility and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Four
Known donation legal starter kit
This legal package provides the following initial legal information and documentation on known donation to help prospective parents and known donors:
- Known donation legal information sheet.
- Known donation questionnaire.
- Known donor agreement template.
Note:
This legal package only provides initial generic legal information and assistance on known donation and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not constitute the provision of specialist, bespoke or specific legal advice in individual cases by Louisa Ghevaert Associates. The known donor agreement is a generic template only (for initial consideration and discussion purposes) and should not be relied upon as a legally binding document. Terms and conditions apply. For legal advice and further assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Six
Known donor agreement and legal review
This legal package includes a legal review meeting and the preparation of a bespoke known donor agreement. It:
- Prepares a bespoke known donor agreement.
- Provides legal and practical advice on donor information and rights.
- Provides bespoke legal advice on known donation (including legal parentage and parental responsibility and legal and practical implications arising).
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
Note:
This consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on known donation and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions) and preparation of a known donor agreement. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Eight
Co-parenting – family building legal review
This provides initial expert legal advice to support people building a family through co-parenting. It:
- Addresses benefits and contents of a bespoke co-parenting agreement.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Provides bespoke legal advice on co-parenting (including legal parentage, parental responsibility, a child’s upbringing and legal and practical implications arising).
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal questions to give peace of mind.
- Creates a tailored co-parenting legal and practical action plan
Note:
This consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides initial specialist advice on co-parenting and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of a co-parenting agreement. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Ten
Surrogacy legal review (UK arrangement)
This provides expert legal advice for people undertaking UK surrogacy. It:
- Provides legal advice on the court process for a parental order (and other family orders as required).
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Provides bespoke legal advice on UK surrogacy law (including legal parentage, parental responsibility, a child’s upbringing and legal and practical implications arising).
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal questions.
Note:
This consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on surrogacy and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Package Twelve
Posthumous conception legal review
This provides initial expert legal advice for people considering posthumous conception (assisted conception involving the eggs, sperm or embryos of a deceased person). It:
- Provides legal advice on posthumous conception law in the UK.
- Helps individuals give and manage informed legal (as opposed to medical) consent to treatment, storage and use of eggs, sperm and embryos on a posthumous basis (i.e. after death).
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal and practical questions.
Note: this consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides initial specialist advice on posthumous conception and fertility law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and services.
Package Fourteen
Blended family legal review
This helps those looking to conceive a child as a blended family, comprising existing children and a new partner. It:
- Provides bespoke advice on conception options.
- Provides legal advice on fertility and family law in the UK.
- Identifies legal and practical risks and steps to mitigate these.
- Helps navigate complex personal and legal issues.
- Answers legal and practical questions.
- Creates a tailored blended family legal and practical action plan.
Note
This initial consultation does not provide medical advice. It only provides specialist advice on fertility and family law in the UK (and not law in other jurisdictions). It does not include preparation of legal documents. Terms and conditions apply. For further legal advice and assistance consider our other legal packages and bespoke legal services.
Bespoke legal services
We provide further expert tailored legal advice and representation on fertility and family law issues, including evidencing and documenting consent and lack of consent to UK fertility treatment.
Read more about our expert fertility law services:
Family Building Options & Law Fertility Preservation Law Fertility Treatment Law Donor Conception & Co-parenting Law Surrogacy Law & Surrogacy Lawyer (UK) Posthumous Conception Law Assisted Reproduction Dispute Expert Witness Fertility Law Genomics, Genetics & Fertility Law
Read more about our expert family law services:
Legal Parentage & Parenthood Parental Responsibility Law Financial Provision Complex Children & Family Law Care & Upbringing of a Child International Children Law Children & Family Dispute Genomics, Genetics & Family Law
News and Commentary
“The Future of Womb Transplants” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 25 November 2024).
“Donor Conception Law: Calls For Global Limits For Egg And Sperm Donors” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 2 September 2024).
“Netflix’s The man With 1,000 Kids” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates blog, 28 July 2024).
“Can Air Pollution Affect My Fertility?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 12 July 2024).
“IVF Add-Ons: How Should We Score the HFEA’s New Ratings System?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 8 February 2024).
“Declining Global Fertility Rates: A Growing Problem” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 13 January 2024).
“Male Infertility and Reproductive Health: A Growing Problem?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 19 October 2023).
“Can Microplastics Affect My Fertility?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 28 July 2023).
“One Year On Since Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization [2022]” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 9 May 2023).
“Global Decline In Sperm Counts: Do I Need To Be Concerned?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 18 November 2022).
“Egg, sperm and embryo freezing: what could go wrong?” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog 20 June 2022).
“Expert Witness Fertility Law: Claims for IVF, Donor Conception and Surrogacy” (Louisa Ghevaert Associates’ blog, 18 May 2022).
“The Economics of Older Mums” (BBC World Service radio interview featuring Louisa Ghevaert 12 October 2021).
“Women fired for having IVF: Appallingly many companies still do not understand the toll fertility treatment takes, despite one-in-seven couples using it” (The Daily Mail 4 August 2021).
Podcast “The Intricacies of Fertility Preservation” interview with Louisa Ghevaert and Eloise Edington of Fertility Help Hub (17 December 2020), also on podcast apps Apple, Spotify and Soundcloud.
Apple podcast on Speak From The Body with Avni Touch entitled “Fertility law for modern families with Louisa Ghevaert” (26 February 2020).
