We have been matching intended parents with gestational carriers since 1999. Through this extensive experience, we have gained a thorough understanding of the policies and procedures employed by the various fertility clinics in screening gestational carriers. Our gestational carrier pre-screening and matching processes are designed to make the difficult process of working with a gestational carrier go forward as smoothly as possible.
- Gestational Carrier Application
Women interested in helping a family by becoming a gestational carrier first contact our office and complete a short questionnaire. That questionnaire provides us with some basic information to determine whether the potential carrier likely will be an acceptable candidate by the fertility clinics our clients work with most often. If the potential carrier meets the basic requirements to be a gestational carrier, she then completes a detailed questionnaire for our review. Our staff then reviews the questionnaire with the potential carrier in detail and walks through all of the aspects of the fertility clinic screening process, the matching process, the IVF cycle, the pregnancy, and the delivery.
Potential carriers also are required to sign medical records and criminal background check releases. Potential carriers are further required to meet with their obstetrician to discuss the possibility of becoming a gestational carrier. The obstetrician is asked to complete an Obstetrician Release Form which gives us medical information about the potential carrier's prior pregnancy history. The obstetrician also advises us if there is any medical reason why the potential carrier should not become pregnant again. If, based on all of this information, we determine that the potential gestational carrier meets all of our pre-screening requirements, she will be accepted into our gestational carrier program.
- Intended Parents Application
The first step in the gestational carrier matching process for the Intended Parents is to complete the Intended Parents Questionnaire. The questionnaire is used to give us information about the type of carrier the intended parents are looking to work with. It is also used to provide any potential carrier selected by the Intended Parents information about them prior to having direct contact. The two most important issues affecting the gestational carrier matching process are: 1) the abortion issue; and 2) where the carrier lives. On the abortion issue, it is important that the intended parents and the carrier are in agreement about whether the carrier would be willing to terminate the pregnancy if there is a severe abnormality or defect. On the issue of where the carrier lives, carriers are grouped into three groups: New England, Central Atlantic States (Pennsylvania, Maryland & Delaware) and All Other Surrogate-Friendly States. Carriers in New England are most in demand, followed by carriers from the Central Atlantic States. Thus, it typically takes longer to be matched with a carrier from New England. Clients are matched with carriers on a first come, first serve basis, based on when we receive your completed Intended Parents Questionnaire.
After submitting the Intended Parents Questionnaire, you should contact our office to schedule an appointment to speak with someone on the gestational carrier team. We will talk you in more detail about the matching process and answer any questions that you may have. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have questions before beginning the process.
- Reviewing Gestational Carrier Profiles
We will send you profiles of potential gestational carriers that we believe will be a good match for you based on your questionnaire and our discussions with you. If you are interested in potentially working with any of the carriers that we send you, we will set up an initial telephone call between you and the carrier. If, after that phone call, both parties are agreeable, we will arrange a meeting between you and the carrier. We require that you make a decision about whether you want to work with the carrier within one week of meeting her. If both you and the carrier agree to work together, the match will become "official."
You will be required to sign the Gestational Carrier Service Agreement at that time. Also, our Agency Fee ($11,000), Legal Fees ($2,000 for intended parents' Attorney, $1,000 for donor's attorney, and $1,000 for escrow management) and an initial deposit to fund the escrow account are due at that time. Payment of the Agency Fee, the Intended Parents' attorney's fee, and escrow management fee can be made by credit card or by check. Payment of the carrier's attorney's fee and the initial deposit to fund the escrow account must be made by check.
PLEASE NOTE: WE MUST RECEIVE PAYMENT OF THE AGENCY FEE, INTENDED PARENTS' ATTORNEYS FEE AND ESCROW MANAGEMENT FEE (A TOTAL OF $14,000) WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE CARRIER AGREEING TO WORK WITH YOU. IF YOU ARE PAYING BY CHECK, THE CHECK MUST BE RECEIVED BY OUR OFFICE WITHIN ONE WEEK. IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT WITHIN THAT TIME, THE CARRIER MAY BE MATCHED WITH OTHER CLIENTS.
If you any questions about the Agency Fee or other financial aspects of the gestational carrier process, please see our Gestational Carrier Fee Schedule. (Click Here to view Gestational Carrier Fee Schedule)
- Screening Process
We will notify your clinic that you have been matched with your carrier within a few business days of our receipt of the Gestational Carrier Service Agreement and payment of the Agency Fee. Once the carrier's information has been submitted to your clinic, we will do everything possible to assist your carrier with the screening process. Fertility clinics vary significantly in how they screen carriers. We will be available to assist the clinic with whatever they need to complete the carrier's screening. While we encourage you to keep in contact with the gestational carrier coordinator at your clinic, we will get constant updates about your carrier's screening from the donor and the egg donor coordinator.
- Gestational Carrier Agreement
Within approximately two to three weeks after you have been "officially" matched with a carrier, one of the attorneys from Nichols & DeLisle, P.C. will email you the first draft of the Gestational Carrier Agreement. The attorney will schedule an appointment with you to review the agreement. This process usually takes several hours and can be done via conference call. The purpose of this review is so that the attorney can answer any questions that you may have about legal issues surrounding gestational carrier arrangements and to make sure that you understand all of the provisions of the agreement. Gestational Carrier Agreements are personalized for each set of Intended Parents and their carrier.
Once the agreement is acceptable to the Intended Parents, the agreement will be sent to the carrier's attorney. While carriers have the right to choose their own attorney, we require that they work with an attorney experienced in the area of reproductive law. This will ensure that the carrier receives adequate legal advice and understands the legal issues involved with gestational surrogacy as well. If the carrier has any requested changes to the agreement, the attorney will review those with you until such time as the agreement is acceptable to both sides.
Once the gestational carrier agreement is finalized, you will be required to send a check to Nichols & DeLisle, P.C. to fully fund the escrow account. Those funds will be deposited in Nichols & DeLisle, P.C. Clients' Trust Fund Account and will be dispersed in accordance with the terms of the Gestational Carrier Agreement.
