Same Sex Couples
Advances in reproductive medicine have given you the ability to become parents via third party reproduction by using a surrogate mother, egg donor, and/or sperm donor.
The legality of same sex marriage has removed many of the roadblocks that used to exist for same sex couples having a child via assisted reproduction and has streamlined the process in many ways. The same laws and legal avenues can be used to establish a same sex couples’ parentage. Florida law allows same sex couples to utilize the gametes of a donor to have their child, as well as legally have a child via gestational surrogacy or pre-planned adoption.
Unfortunately, same sex couples still face unique legal challenges that may require additional steps or additional securities to safely establish parentage. For example, some jurisdictions outside of Florida may not recognize the non-biological parent without an adoption of the child, even if both parents appear on the birth certificate. Even for married same sex females who choose to enter an egg sharing agreement (one provides the egg and the other carries the child), these challenges may be best addressed with additional legal protections. These challenges could be especially detrimental for international couples and vary greatly between countries.
This firm will advocate for you, assess your case and provide a plan that offers the most legal protections for you and your family.