We know the process of surrogacy in Florida can be confusing, especially if this is your first experience into this exciting family-building journey. Whether you’re an intended parent or prospective surrogate, you can learn all you need about the surrogacy process in Florida below.
If you still have questions, we can help. To get more information about surrogacy in Florida, contact a surrogacy specialist online today!
What is Surrogacy in Florida?
While every surrogacy is different, there are a few common steps that must be included in every successful surrogacy. These steps play a key role in ensuring that your process is completed safely, legally and ethically.
Step 1: Decide that surrogacy is right for you. Before you invest any time and energy in to the surrogacy process in Florida, it’s important that you are 100 percent confident that this option is right for you.
As an intended parent, you might benefit from surrogacy if:
- You’re struggling with infertility
- You’re an LGBTQ+ couple
- You want to have a child but don’t want to wait for a partner
If you’re a prospective surrogate you might want to:
- Help a couple or individual have the family of their dreams
- Relive the experience of pregnancy
- Receive financial benefits while making a selfless commitment
The best way to learn more about the surrogacy process is by contacting a surrogacy professional. They can answer any questions you have and help you better understand the path ahead. They can also conduct initial screening to ensure you meet the basic requirements for surrogacy.
Step 2: Choose a surrogacy professional and create a surrogacy plan. Once you have decided that surrogacy is right for you and your family, you will need to think about who you will work with during your surrogacy process in Florida.
Your surrogacy professional will help you create a personal surrogacy plan based on your needs, goals and preferences. This plan will detail every upcoming step and ensure that your process meets your expectations.
Step 3: Complete your pre-surrogacy screening. You will have already met the basic surrogacy requirements before getting to this step, but there are additional screenings you’ll need to complete before you can move forward. These include medical and psychological screenings, during which medical professionals will confirm that you are 100 percent ready for the emotional, physical, and medical demands of the surrogacy process.
Step 4: Find an intended parent or gestational surrogacy carrier. The matching process for this step is mutual, which means you will always have a say in what kind of surrogacy partner you will work with. Your surrogacy professional will help you find a surrogacy match who meets your preferences.
You will be able to have an introductory meeting or conference call with your surrogacy partner before you decide if they are the right match for you. Your surrogacy professional will be there to mediate the conversation, if necessary.
Step 5: Create a surrogacy contract. Your surrogacy match cannot be finalized until a surrogacy contract is created. This is done with the assistance of two local attorneys – one for intended parents and one for the gestational surrogacy carrier.
Your contact maps out your entire surrogacy process in Florida, and addresses topics like:
- Risks and liabilities
- Surrogate compensation
- Surrogacy laws in Florida
- And more
Step 6: Complete the medical process. Once the legal process has been completed, the surrogate will be able to begin a regimen of fertility medications prescribed by the intended parents’ fertility specialist. These medications will ensure she is physically prepared for the embryo transfer process.
Once a doctor confirms she is ready for the embryo transfer, this process will be completed at the intended parents’ clinic. Any medical and travel costs will be covered by the intended parents.
Step 7: Finalize your surrogacy process in Florida. Depending on the situation, steps may need to be taken after birth to establish intended parents’ parental rights. This will all be determined by your surrogacy attorney during the contract stage, so they will handle these legal aspects when needed.
Once the gestational surrogacy carrier receives her final compensation, the surrogacy process in Florida is complete.
Florida Surrogacy Agencies [What Are They and What Do They Do?]
Many intended parents and gestational surrogacy carriers choose to work with surrogacy agencies in Florida, and for good reason. A surrogacy agency can guide you through every step of the process, offering several services and benefits you won’t find everywhere.
In essence, surrogacy agencies are “one-stop shops,” as they take a great deal of stress and responsibility off your shoulders. You’ll work with a surrogacy professional through every step of the way, and they’ll help you by:
- Providing emotional support and guidance
- Coordinating with additional surrogacy professionals
- Mediating contact between you and your surrogacy partner
- And more
When you work with a surrogacy agency, you can have peace of mind knowing that your surrogacy professional will always prioritize your best interests.
There are several surrogacy agencies in Florida that can help you get started, including:
How to Become a Surrogate in Florida
Being a surrogate is an experience unlike anything else. Partnering with intended parents and making their dreams come true is a beautiful and rewarding journey to take.
While every gestational surrogacy carrier’s experience is different, she usually completes three general steps along the way:
Step 1: Meet the requirements for being a surrogate in Florida. In order to become a surrogate, you must meet a few important requirements. These include:
- Being between the ages of 21 and 43
- Having a healthy BMI
- Having had at least one successful pregnancy with no complications
- Not smoking or using illicit drugs
- And more
The surrogacy requirements can be intimidating, but your surrogacy professional will be by your side to make sure all your bases are covered.
Step 2: Find intended parents. Once you pass initial screening, you’ll work to find intended parents, either with or without the help of a surrogacy agency. If you work with an agency, your personal surrogacy professional will discuss your surrogacy goals and preferences with you and find intended parents who match.
Step 3: Complete the medical process. During this step, you will work with the intended parents’ fertility clinic to prepare for embryo transfer with the help of fertility medications. Once your pregnancy is confirmed, you’ll receive the rest of your prenatal care from your local obstetrician until it’s time for delivery.
Florida Surrogate Compensation [How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid?]
In a gestational surrogacy in Florida, the intended parents may pay reasonable compensation to the surrogate. This compensation can cover:
- Legal expenses
- Medical, psychological, and psychiatric expenses
- Living expenses
- Wages lost due to pregnancy and birth
- And more
Before you start the surrogacy process as a gestational surrogacy carrier, your surrogacy professional can give you an estimate of your surrogate mother compensation. In general, you can expect to receive base compensation that’s around $45,000-$75,000 depending on your level of experience.
Start Your Florida Surrogacy Journey Today
Surrogacy is a lifelong journey, and the process of surrogacy in Florida is an incredibly way to bring people together for the sake of creating a family.
If you’re interested in surrogacy as a prospective surrogate or intended parent, reach out to a surrogacy professional today.