Independent Surrogacy and Agency-Assisted Surrogacy
Do you know why intended parents choose to work with or without a surrogacy agency for their surrogacy journey? Oftentimes, it comes down to whether the intended parents have already selected a surrogate, and the level of responsibility they want to hold over the process.
There is no right or wrong answer in deciding to work with or without agency assistance. Regardless of your choice, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado wants you to be informed about your options. Below, we discuss the differences between independent surrogacy and agency-assisted surrogacy.
What is Independent Surrogacy?
Independent surrogacy is when the intended parents find a surrogate and go through the surrogacy process without the help of an agency. These steps include: finding a suitable surrogate who agrees with your expectations, securing a surrogacy lawyer to file the necessary legal documentation, locating a fertility clinic to initiate the pregnancy, and arranging the delivery at an obstetrics hospital.
Throughout the 10-month surrogacy journey, the intended parents will provide emotional and logistical support to the surrogate and smooth over any conflicts that arise.
How does Independent Surrogacy Differ from Agency-Assisted Surrogacy?
Most often, intended parents who choose to go without the support of a surrogacy agency have already found their surrogate. These are called identified surrogacies: when a close friend or family member agrees to be your surrogate.
One of the main roles of a surrogacy agency is to screen surrogates. There are several legal, psychological, and medical qualifications that potential surrogates must meet to be accepted. Choosing to screen a surrogate by yourself means you run the risk of your potential surrogate not being accepted by your surrogacy lawyer or the fertility clinic.
Surrogacy specialists have experience vetting surrogates and matching intended parents to mothers who meet their preferences and plans. With a surrogacy agency, you can expect the agent to present you with the profiles of a few surrogates who are a good match. From there, the surrogacy specialist will facilitate a meeting between the two parties to confirm plans and begin the legal and medical processes.
Intended parents who choose independent surrogacy are responsible for coordinating the surrogacy agreement, any compensation, legal documentation, and medical procedures themselves. They will need to locate a convenient fertility clinic, find a surrogacy lawyer, and guide the surrogate through the entire process.
Advantages of Independent Surrogacy
For those who have already identified their surrogate, independent surrogacy offers a cut-and-dry path ahead. They need only secure legal representation, form an agreement with the surrogate, and begin the medical procedures.
Intended parents who want to take on more responsibility or management in the surrogacy process can benefit from independent surrogacy. Going through this process without the help of a surrogacy agency means the intended parents will have to do their research to select reputable surrogacy lawyers and efficient fertility clinics. Prospective parents who have strong project management skills could delight in this level of planning.
Surrogates who want to pursue independent surrogacy can benefit from increasing their charges beyond those they may have received from an agency. They have more freedom to guide the plans and express their preferences for which lawyers or clinics they prefer to work with.
Advantages of Agency-Assisted Surrogacy
Intended parents seeking a surrogate can be confident that the surrogates screened by surrogacy agencies will fit all of the necessary legal and medical requirements. This is often more reliable than searching through online communities yourself, and the approval of experts can bring you added peace of mind for this long journey.
An important benefit of working with an agency is third-party support. Agencies offer mediation during the agreement stage, which can be helpful when coordinating with relative strangers. Surrogacy agencies, like Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, also offer counseling and support services because we understand the emotional needs of both intended parents and surrogates. This support can help strengthen the relationship between the intended parents and surrogate, which is crucial for maintaining healthy communication and celebrating the joys of surrogacy together.
Surrogacy agencies may have partnerships with surrogacy lawyers to secure their clients flat rate fees instead of hourly rates for legal services.
Choosing between Independent Surrogacy and Agency-Assisted Surrogacy
The choice to work with a surrogacy agency or not is up to the intended parents. Even if you have already identified your surrogate, surrogacy specialists can offer counseling and can connect you with the correct professionals you need to seamlessly pursue your surrogacy journey.
We hope this explanation has helped you more fully understand the differences between independent surrogacy and agency-assisted surrogacy. For all of your surrogacy questions, consult our specialists at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado.
If you are interested in learning more about your gestational surrogacy options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Madilyn Moeller is a writer and editor keen on translating the technical. Madilyn’s years of science writing shine through as she explains everything from health insurance to moving for her readers. Madilyn has a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University in Professional Writing, Psychology, and Neuroscience. She is a lifelong writer bringing her curiosity to the marketing stage, building websites and blogs for businesses moving online. She knows more about Medicare than any young adult should.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!