Missouri Surrogacy and ART Law

John and Mary married with the intention of starting a family right away. They bought a big house with the expectation of having several children and a happy, big family. But then they discovered that Mary would never be able to bring a child to term, and their dreams seemed doomed. They considered adopting, but while researching Missouri adoption laws they came across information about surrogacy, and slowly the idea took shape in their minds. Gestational Surrogacy, after all, would be a way to bring a child into the world who shared their DNA – as opposed to Independent Surrogacy, which would involve the eggs and DNA of the surrogate mother. It did not take long for them to switch their resources over to finding the right surrogate.

Their lawyer warned the couple that the law in Missouri was far from settled on the issue of surrogacy. Unlike Missouri adoption information, the information on surrogacy was far from complete, especially if it was a compensated surrogacy. The introduction of money into any arrangement complicates things. Their lawyer assured them that the courts were generally favorable to surrogacy issues, but this still sounded risky to John and Mary. Still, they couldn’t abandon their dream– and began to selection process.

John and Mary found the process of finding a gestational surrogate was very much like the world’s hardest job interview! They set up appointments, and the prospective surrogates asked the questions. It was important that everyone be comfortable with each other – this was an incredibly intimate connection they were forging and they would spend a lot of time together over the next several months.

When they met Jane, their dreams were answered. Jane was a confident, cheerful young woman who told them she took part in the surrogacy process not just for the money, but for the joy she brought to families. Jane was warm and friendly and obviously a very stable and happy person. They trusted and liked her immediately. John and Mary with their Missouri adoption lawyer worked out the agreement and the process began!