Family Formation Law is a sub-section of family law that focuses on forming a new legal relationship between parents and children. Stiles Ewing Powers offers skilled legal services for family formation, including Adoption, Paternity Recognition, and Assisted Reproduction.
Assisted Reproduction
Assisted Reproduction is also commonly referred to as the related medical processes it governs, Assisted Reproduction Technology, and its acronym, “ART.” Assisted Reproduction provides opportunities for infertile couples, same-sex couples, and single intended parents to build a family when they are unable to do so without the help of medical technology. Assisted Reproduction is also sometimes referred to as third-party family formation. Some forms of Assisted Reproduction include in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy, which is often referred to as gestational carriership.
The variety of names and titles given to the various processes result from the evolution of technology and the various laws that apply, and they can be complicated to understand. The experienced lawyers at Stiles Ewing Powers explain which terms apply to our client’s circumstances and why.
Assisted Reproduction Legal Inclusions
There are many combinations of people who might participate in an Assisted Reproduction legal process. They might include genetic donors, whose sperm or egg are used to conceive a child or children; the surrogate or gestational carrier, who carries the fetus and gives birth; the surrogate’s or gestational carrier’s spouse, if applicable, whose participation is required in some states due to paternity laws; the conceived child or children; and the intended parent(s) (who might also serve as a genetic donor) for whom the process conceives a child or children. These people work together to build their families in concert with their medical and legal support team. They have related medical, emotional, economic, and legal interests that must be considered throughout the process.
The attorneys at Stiles Ewing Powers can assist intended parents and donors with contracts for egg, sperm, embryo, and surrogacy/gestational carrierships. We have experience and success with the legal validation of surrogacy/gestational agreements, donation agreements, compensation (where allowed), reimbursement structures, parentage proceedings, and birth certificate amendments.
The Importance of an ART Lawyer
The rate of success, availability, and accessibility of ART have increased each year, and the societal and legal improvements have granted the expansion of its procedures. Unfortunately, the jurisdictions that allow ART practices have not yet established a uniform set of laws to govern the legal process, making interstate and international agreements particularly complicated.
As trained and experienced assisted reproduction attorneys, we recognize these complications at the outset of representation and resolve any conflicts early in the process to minimize economic and practical impact.
The various combinations of services an ART process requires are unique to each case. The various factors include the residency of the intended parent(s) and surrogate, the combination of medical procedures required to accomplish conception, the status of various laws that govern the related medical and legal processes, the success of the medical procedures, and the expectations of the parties involved.
These services can be provided with or without an agency. Our attorneys regularly negotiate and plan for the various costs and expenses related to the ART processes in Virginia and Oklahoma.
The lawyers at Stiles Ewing Powers are experienced in ART practice. They are licensed in Virginia and Oklahoma and have developed representation and consulting relationships with fertility clinics and agencies throughout the country. We have the network and resources necessary to coordinate a successful team.