Completing a surrogacy in North Carolina can be an exciting — but, at times, overwhelming — process. Whether you’re a prospective surrogate or intended parent, you may not be sure how to start the NC surrogacy process and move forward with this family-building journey.
The surrogacy professionals at Southern Surrogacy can help. Our surrogacy program in North Carolina offers a full-service surrogacy experience for both intended parents and surrogates to help you reach your surrogacy goals in a safe, legal and successful manner. If you’re looking for guidance through this life-changing time, look no further than our surrogacy program.
The first step to starting your surrogacy in North Carolina should be researching the process and deciding whether it’s the right choice for you. Our surrogacy professionals can answer any questions you have about our program and North Carolina surrogacy when you call us at 855-787-2229. Our complimentary initial consults can give you the information you need to move forward, but you are never obligated to choose surrogacy until you’re sure it’s the best path for you.
To help you learn more about surrogacy in North Carolina, we’ve listed some of the basic information you should know in this article.
The Facts About North Carolina Surrogacy Laws
Surrogacy in the United States is governed by state laws, which means that North Carolina surrogacy laws will be different from other states. However, they’re actually very similar to many other southern states in that North Carolina does not have specific surrogacy statutes.
Just because North Carolina does not have legal regulations for surrogacy does not mean the process is impossible. On the contrary, Southern Surrogacy and other local North Carolina surrogacy professionals have been completing legal, safe and successful surrogacies for years.
Surrogacy professionals in this state have developed an efficient legal process that, when completed correctly, protects the rights of both surrogates and intended parents. Your legal surrogacy contractis of crucial importance for this process; it must be drafted by an experienced surrogacy attorney in North Carolina (which Southern Surrogacy retains on staff). Once a surrogacy contract is completed, your surrogacy process will be upheld based on contract law.
What’s most important to know is that a lack of strict surrogacy laws in North Carolina does not mean surrogacy is impossible or unsafe. As long as both parties want a surrogacy arrangement to proceed, and they complete a surrogacy contract, the North Carolina legal system will allow for this process.
The Process of Surrogacy in NC
Often, a surrogacy in North Carolina will proceed the same way as surrogacy in many other states. Southern Surrogacy will guide you through every step of the process to make sure all necessary legal, medical and practical steps are handled if you choose to complete a surrogacy in North Carolina.
The first step for any North Carolina surrogacy, whether you’re an intended parent or prospective surrogate, is to speak with our surrogacy professionals over the phone. They will answer whatever questions you have, discuss your surrogacy goals and preferences and help you determine if this process is right for you. If you choose to proceed with a North Carolina surrogacy, we will schedule an in-office meeting to cover all aspects of the surrogacy process and what you can expect moving forward.
After this meeting and a confirmation that you’re ready to begin your surrogacy process, we’ll move forward with the rest of the surrogacy steps:
- Matching with a surrogate or intended parent. The matching process for surrogacy is mutual, with intended parents and prospective surrogates creating profiles to find the perfect match for them. Surrogacy is an intimate partnership, and our professionals work hard to make sure intended parents and prospective surrogates are comfortable with a match before signing legal contracts. This will include an in-person meeting, if so desired. We will also work to match you with a local surrogate or intended parent if proximity is important to you.
- Signing the surrogacy contract. Our North Carolina surrogacy attorneys will represent you during this stage of the legal process. We will make sure to address all necessary aspects of the surrogacy process, including risks and responsibilities, surrogate compensation, expectations for contact during pregnancy and after, and more. A well-written surrogacy contract is instrumental to a successful surrogacy in North Carolina, and our attorneys have all the experience necessary to complete this step.
- Completing the medical process. After the surrogacy contract is signed and intended parents and surrogates pass certain background screenings, the medical process with the surrogacy clinic will begin. The surrogate will begin taking fertility medication to prepare for embryo transfer and, if they haven’t already, intended parents will create their embryos. Once a surrogate is confirmed pregnant, she’ll be able to work with her local obstetrician for the remainder of her pregnancy.
- Establishing parental rights. While the method of establishing parental rights will be outlined in the surrogacy contract, the legal process begins after the surrogate’s first trimester. A surrogacy attorney will complete the necessary pre-birth order paperwork to ensure the intended parents have rights to their child at the hospital, at which time they will be able to take their baby home with their names on the birth certificate.
Of course, every surrogacy in North Carolina is different, but the general process with Southern Surrogacy follows the steps outlined above. Your surrogacy professional will work closely with you to ensure you’re comfortable and understand exactly what’s happening at each step, whether you’re a surrogate or intended parent.
Other Professionals You’ll Need for a NC Surrogacy
When you work with Southern Surrogacy, we will provide almost all of the services you need to complete a North Carolina surrogacy, including legal assistance, case management, counseling and more.
In most surrogacies, the only additional professional needed is a fertility clinic to complete the required medical steps. Most intended parents come to surrogacy having already worked with a clinic for previous infertility treatments, and they can likely retain that professional throughout their surrogacy process. A surrogate will work with the fertility clinic that the intended parents choose, and all necessary travel costs will be free to her.
If you haven’t yet found a fertility clinic as an intended parent, our surrogacy professionals can always refer you to trusted medical professionals. Some North Carolina fertility clinics to consider are:
- Atlantic Reproductive Medicine Specialists
- Carolina Conceptions
- Carolina’s Fertility Institute
- CMC Women’s Institute
- Duke Fertility Center
- REACH – Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte
- UNC Fertility
There are also other fertility clinics in North Carolina you may wish to work with, and when you contact our surrogacy professionals, they can provide you an extensive list of the fertility clinics available to you. Like with choosing any family-building professional, it’s important you research to determine which one is right for you as an intended parent. You can start by searching the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s database.
How to Move Forward with a Surrogacy in North Carolina
Surrogacy in North Carolina involves many moving parts but, fortunately, when you work with Southern Surrogacy, you will have experienced professionals guiding you through every step of your journey. Surrogacy is a continually changing practice, so it’s important to work with a trusted professional if you’re considering pursuing a North Carolina surrogacy — and we can help.
If you are interested in completing a surrogacy in North Carolina or another southern state, you can always reach out to our professionals for more information. When you are ready, we can help you complete the process in a safe, legal manner and reach the surrogacy goals you’ve set for yourself.
