parentage Orders

Parentage orders are court orders in which the Intended Parents’ legal status as the parents of the child being carried by the Gestational Carrier is established. In most cases this is done pre-birth such that the Intended Parents are the legal parents from the moment of birth.  The Pre-Birth Order will also direct the hospital and state to place the Intended Parents' names on the child's original birth certificate. The hospital will also look to the Intended Parents to make medical decisions for the child and the child will be discharged to the Intended Parents’ care.  

The process to obtain a Pre-Birth Parentage Order should begin early in the second trimester of pregnancy to ensure that there is sufficient time for the court to enter judgment prior to birth.  In some cases, particularly with international Intended Parents, a Post-Birth Order may be more advantageous or even required.

Attorneys in our firm are licensed in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine and can assist with your parentage order if the Intended Parents live in one of these states, the Gestational Carrier lives in one of these states, or the birth will occur in one of these states.  

The laws on parentage orders vary tremendously state to state.  Please call us to discuss your particular situation.

If you have any questions about our Parentage Order services whatsoever, or if you would like to talk about your situation in a general way, please don't hesitate to Contact Us any time.