How do I start the surrogacy process? A typical chain of events.

Surrogacy in South Africa is a very expensive process. Plan your finances before you decide to embark on the journey. Depending on the legal fees, fertility clinic fees, the number of IVFs before you are successful and the surrogate mother’s monthly expenses it may cost anything between R 250 000 to R 350 000 or even more.

Find an attorney in your area who specialises in surrogacy and meet with him or her to get the information on what the surrogacy process entails once you have found a surrogate mother. You may typically go through some of the following legal and medical steps:

• Have a consultation with the attorney and obtain information about the surrogacy process.
• Once you have found a willing surrogate mother, she will need to be screened by your fertility specialist, who will then inform you whether she is medically suitable or not. If she is, then your fertility specialist will issue a report to confirm it. Your fertility specialist will order some blood tests to be done by you, your partner / husband and the surrogate mother. Once the results are ready and normal for all of you, he or she will write a report as to why you are unable to carry a successful pregnancy and need an assistance of a surrogate mother.
• You, your partner / husband and the surrogate mother and her husband / partner will then go to have a psychological evaluation by a psychologist who specialises in dealing with surrogacy. Your attorney or fertility clinic will be able to refer you to one. The psychologist will then send a report about all of your psychological evaluations to your attorney.
• All of you then meet with the attorney to discuss the Surrogacy Motherhood Agreement.
• Your attorney may advise that all parties involved attend some counselling as well, which in many instances is beneficial but not compulsory.
• You will then be advised by your attorney on the list of supporting documents you, you partner / husband and the surrogate mother and her husband / partner need to provide for the High Court application.
• Once all the supporting documents are provided, the surrogacy agreement and any other accompanying documents are signed, your attorney is ready to lodge the application in the High Court.