Edward Cooke Family Law are pleased to support National Surrogacy Week 2023

01 August 2023

Edward Cooke Family Law are pleased to support National Surrogacy Week 2023.

National Surrogacy Week 2023 is a seven-day celebration of UK surrogacy organised by the surrogacy community. 2023 is set to be a key year for surrogacy with the Law Commission having published their reports for reform on 29 March 2023, which has sparked lots of interesting debate around surrogacy amongst professionals and the wider community.

Surrogacy laws are outdated and in need of reform

It is well documented that surrogacy laws are outdated and in need of reform. The Law Commission’s report makes recommendations of how the law could be reformed with the intention of benefitting the child, the surrogate, and the intended parents. In recent years the judges who hear applications for parental orders have had to perform “judicial acrobatics” and essentially read the law down to assist families who are going through surrogacy with the child’s best interests in mind.

National Surrogacy Week will no doubt be a key opportunity for the surrogacy community to share information and knowledge in the wake of these reports and it is hoped that individuals will share their stories to help with understanding the reality of surrogacy. 

Supporting families through their surrogacy journey

Victoria Maxwell, Associate Solicitor, specialises in surrogacy and says “My experience of surrogacy has been an extremely positive one. As a general family law practitioner, the other areas of work that we specialise in sadly often focus on the breakdown of families. I feel very honoured to be part of such a personal journey with my clients assisting them with the formation of their family. Often my clients have already endured a painful and arduous fertility journey and it is so rewarding to be part of their destination to becoming parents.”

Lauren Guy, Director, also specialises in surrogacy work and notes that “There are many misconceptions around surrogacy which are sometimes perpetuated by the media.  Vitally, the Law Commission took the time to properly consult with the surrogate community, as well as professionals and intended parents, when preparing their report and it is hoped that their recommendations will provide the basis for positive surrogacy reform that will support the creation of many more families in the future.”

If you would like more information on surrogacy, Lauren and Victoria would be happy to assist.