Beginning the journey…
Complimentary Initial Consult
Please complete our brief Gestational Surrogate Applicant Questionnaire and if you meet early requirements we will schedule a time to talk and discuss the surrogacy process with you and review some basic requirements. After the initial consult we’ll start gathering your medical records.
Background Check
We will hire an outside service to complete your background check. However, please note that the Intended Parents will undergo the same background check.
Mental Health Evaluation
We will arrange for you to complete a mental health evaluation prior to being admitted to the Surrogate Program. Once you are matched with Intended Parents, you will also complete a joint session with your intended parents.
Intended Parent Profile
As you move through the process, we will request some photos of you and your family for our use in creating a Profile that we can use to introduce you to prospective intended parents.
The Surrogate Matching Process
Once you have been admitted to the Program, we will begin the matching process. We value and respect the Intended Parents and Surrogates with whom we work and we recognize that it is an intangible quality that makes a successful match between Intended Parents and Surrogates. We believe that the matching process is absolutely critical and will respect the needs and desires of both the Intended Parents and the Surrogates. We call upon our years of experience in helping Intended Parents and Surrogates to find each other as trustworthy partners in this unique undertaking. When presenting prospective Intended Parents to you, we will forward you their profile, including pictures and a statement from them introducing themselves to you.
Introduction to Intended Parents
If you indicated that you are interested in the Intended Parents we have presented to you, then we will schedule a time for you to meet them virtually. A member of our team will be with you for that first call; we won’t make you do this alone!
Joint Psychological Consultation
Once matched, Southern Surrogacy will arrange for you to complete a group meeting with the psychologist, you and the Intended Parents to review the psychological aspects of surrogacy, as well as to discuss everyone’s expectations of each other and the process. This group meeting is invaluable and can help to avoid later issues, in the event that your expectations differ. Many programs have eliminated this meeting, but we feel strongly that this is critical to a successful and enjoyable relationship between Intended Parents and the Surrogate.
Medical Process
Once you are officially “matched”, we will forward your Questionnaire and medical records to the designated reproductive endocrinologist, in order to schedule your first medical appointment. The medical process can vary from physician to physician.
Legal Contract Southern Surrogacy
Upon receiving confirmation from the physician that you have completed all necessary testing and are ready to proceed with the surrogacy arrangement, Southern Surrogacy will forward your Match Information to an appropriate attorney to draft the Contract on Intended Parents’ behalf. Once the Contract is ready for your review, we will assist you in the selection of separate legal counsel to review the Contract with you and to negotiate any changes. Intended Parents will cover your legal fees for the Contract review process. Once the Contract has been fully-executed, then you are ready to begin!
Trust Account
The Intended Parents will need to fund the escrow account in an amount sufficient to cover your anticipated surrogate fees and expense reimbursements. We ask intended parents to agree to fund a minimum of 1.5 times your base compensation request.
Pre-Birth Parentage
In most states, the Parties are able to obtain a pre-birth parentage judgment declaring Intended Parents to be the parents of the child(ren) you will be gestating. Upon completing the first trimester, Southern Surrogacy will request that Intended Parents’ legal counsel begin this legal process. The timing and process can vary from state to state, and even from county to county. As during the Contract process, your legal counsel for an uncontested action will be paid by Intended Parents.
