Celebrating Bourne Free, Bournemouth's Pride Festival15th Jun 2017
Superheroes will be donning their capes later this month as they celebrate Bourne Free, Bournemouth’s Pride Festival (Friday June 30 to Sunday July 2 2017).
This year’s theme of superheroes is an apt one because every caped crusader needs a sidekick.
Not many law firms can offer specialist legal advice on how gay, lesbian and transgender couples can start a family through donor conception or surrogacy – but we can and do on a regular basis.
Helping LGBT Couples Planning To Start A Family
It’s reassuring to get the right legal advice at the start of something as important as starting a family through surrogacy or donor conception.
One would like to think that – in today’s enlightened times – the law would treat all couples the same way.
And while that’s generally true, there are still occasional anomalies in a legal system that is always at least one step behind the cutting edge of modern life.
The law can be complex for lesbian couples planning to become parents through donor conception. That is because it depends on many factors – such as when they married or entered into a civil partnership – was it before or after the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 came into force?
For male same-sex couples, using surrogacy to start a family is becoming more popular both domestically and internationally. But for any couple this is a complex area of the law and one which is long overdue for reform so we would always recommend getting legal advice first.
If you‘re considering surrogacy then it’s vital to obtain a Parental Order so the law recognises you as the children’s parents.
This will help ensure that your children will have all the legal rights that you would wish for them.
Without a Parental Order in place, it could mean that neither of you as intended parents are your child’s legal parents. In this instance, you would not have parental responsibility. This could cause untold issues for your child and for you as parents.
Also, getting the right legal advice at the outset always makes it easier if – for whatever reason – the marriage or civil partnership runs into difficulties.
In which case, alternative dispute resolution is a much quicker, cheaper and less stressful way of resolving issues than going to court to get divorced or dissolve a civil partnership.
Expert Legal Advice For LGBT Families
Need help and are unsure of your options? Coles Miller Partner Richard Perrins, Head of our Family Law Department, a specialist in LGBT, surrogacy and fertility law, 01202 355698.
Got A Question?
x
This document is not intended to constitute and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice on any specific matter. No liability for the accuracy of the content of this document, or the consequences of relying on it, is assumed by the author. If you seek further information, please contact Managing Partner Neil Andrews at Coles Miller Solicitors LLP.
