Archive for the ‘Current Affairs’ Category
November 6, 2009 | By: Liz | Filed under: Announcements,Current Affairs
Hey everyone, while I was away, Kristen and Emily were hard at work trying to figure out why we have all these registered users who cannot seem to be able to post. We had a worm on the site awhile ago and it seems the damage the worm did went a little deeper than we realized.
Anyone who has previously registered to be a user on this blog needs to register again. As of today, we have only 4 registered users, down from over a hundred. Please, please, please, take a minute and register again. I am so sorry for the inconvenience. But some mean person corrupted my blog. Once you register again you shouldn’t have any problems. You may not have even noticed . . . but we noticed and we miss you!
Once again, anyone who has previously a registered user on this blog is no longer registered due to a worm that corrupted the site. Please re-register and join our discussions!
Thanks!
Liz
Tags: Announcements, registered users
November 6, 2009 | By: Liz | Filed under: Current Affairs
I have been off the blog travelling to various meetings for reproductive professionals, including ASRM and moderating a panel for the American Bar Association’s A.R.T. Committee addressing insurance issues in gestational carrier arrangements. I learned tons (for other posts) but came home exhausted and overwhelmed and of course the office was happily insane with new business. Of course the travelling and stress of long hours, on and off planes, in and out of cars, running through (or trying to walk through) convention centers, and tons of work meant my back went out . . . and I wound up in bed staring at the ceiling last weekend. But everyone needs a break — just wish mine had been on a beach in some tropical location. ;)
But I have been very productive in my absence with many new things to bring to the blog . . . first and foremost the e-Book on Egg Donation is almost done!!! Can you believe it! Kristen, my marketing guru, is gearing up for a big marketing campaign to let the world know that the first in my series of the Nuts and Bolts of A.R.T.: The Egg Donation e-Book is going to be coming to a computer or store near you very soon! Now’s the time to get in and get your free copy . . . email us at Info@Storklawyer.com and tell us you want a copy of The Egg Donation e-Book. We will add you to the mailing list when it’s available so you can download your copy. It will also be available (not immediately) in kindle format. I can’t believe we’re finally on the cusp of releasing this book that I have been working on for what feels like forever. WooHoo! By the way, it’s written for both intended parents and prospective egg donors.
Also in the news . . . on January 4th, 2010, The Stork Lawyer Connection will officially open for business. For years I have wanted to start my own egg donation agency but couldn’t reconcile myself to certain issues I have with the existing egg donation agency model. The Stork Lawyer Connection is a unique agency, with a new way of bringing donors together with intended parents. Our website is almost done, our staff is together, and we’re so excited. I am so excited! Keep an eye out for our press release, and for information on The Stork Lawyer Connection coming to a mailbox, doctor’s office, or computer near you!
Congrats to Ms. Samantha Hill, the newest associate in my law office, who found out yesterday that she passed the New York State Bar Exam! Sam was an intern in my office during law school and joined us when Danielle took a leave of absence. Sam, I am very proud of you! Rumor has it that another former intern passed the bar as well . . . so our congratulations also go out to Ms. Sarah Thomas . . . character and fitness forms are on their way ladies! CONGRATULATIONS SAM AND SARAH – YOU DID IT – YOU PASSED THE BAR!
There are lots of infertility and adoption events going on right about now. The RESOLVE of the Bay State Chapter is holding it’s annual conference this weekend. We send some goodies up for the auction, but anyone reading in the Boston area should head over to the conference (Nov 7th). We hope to be there in person next year, but this year with the conference coming on the heals of my trip to Montreal to speak at the American Bar Association, and attend the 65th Annual Meeting of ASRM in Atlanta, we just couldn’t do it. Those goodies we sent are pretty awesome though. Free consultations on adoption, a free egg donation contract, free signed copies of The Infertility Survival Handbook and The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Adoption . . . I hope we made up for not being there in person. Concerned Persons for Adoption is having their annual conference (also the 11/7) in New Jersey at Rutgers University. I wasn’t able to attend that event either, but we did send handouts on what you need to know about third party assisted reproduction and adoption in NY and NJ and an offer for copy of one of my books.
I will be speaking and have an exhibition table at the annual APC Conference, held this year in Brooklyn, NY at St. Francis College on November 22nd. I will be speaking on Adoptive Breast Feeding and Marketing and Targeting in Adoption: how, when and where to find a birth family.
We’re also working on changes to the Stork Lawyer website. All the web site design for The Stork Lawyer Connection has me wanting to freshen up the Stork Lawyer site as well (plus we have to add all our new staff!!).
I am off now to post a general blurby blog and to work on the website for The Stork Lawyer Connection. Oh yeah, I have homework for my coach too (maybe something to blog about)! And another sweater to knit for a client . . . TGIF!
Breathe Liz, just breathe!
Tags: Announcements, Egg Donation, The Infertility Survival Handbook, The Stork Lawyer Connection, The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Adoption
September 28, 2009 | By: Liz | Filed under: adoption,Current Affairs
From Today’s New York Law Journal
Lawyer Accused of Stealing In Adoption Scheme
A Roslyn lawyer already under investigation in connection with real estate fraud was arrested Friday and charged with stealing thousands of dollars from prospective adoptive parents. Nassau District Attorney Kathleen M. Rice said in a statement that Kevin Cohen, 41, promised couples “babies that didn’t exist” and pocketed the money while telling them the funds were in escrow accounts while the adoptions were pending.
One couple paid Mr. Cohen $65,000 after he falsely claimed to have located two prospective birth mothers who sought to adopt out their children, Ms. Rice said. Mr. Cohen, founded the nonprofit Roslyn Adoption Annex in 2004, which provides services to adoptive parents and adopted children. He is charged with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree scheme to defraud and third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mr. Cohen pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon but remained behind bars on $250,000 bail. — Vesselin Mitev
April 16, 2009 | By: Liz | Filed under: Current Affairs,Financing Fertility Treament or Adoption,Questions about the Office
As Tax Day comes and goes and so many people are struggling both with infertility and paying bills, and praying that tax refunds will help pay for treatment or adoption expenses, we’ve been asking, what can we do to help?
Well, we’ve decided to extend a little economic stimulus package of our own! The Stork Lawyer Economic Stimulus Plan of 2009 is designed to make all legal services for family building more affordable for everyone!
First, we’d like to remind you that we offer a free egg donation contract per fiscal quarter to qualifying individuals and families. To make this even more meaningful, we are changing the criteria for applicants to make it easier to qualify for a free contract. Although our website has not yet been updated, we urge anyone who would like to apply for a free egg donation contract due to their difficulty in paying the expenses associated with their egg donation cycle to submit an application. We will send them the criteria by email (until it is posted on our website), and we will consider all applications submitted regardless of whether they strictly meet our criteria.
Second, we are offering a 15% discount on our legal services for egg donation and gestational carrier arrangements to all new clients. Our normal fees have been slashed! For the next fiscal quarter and perhaps even longer, our new rates will reflect an across the board reduction of 15%.
Third, for clients who retain us during the second fiscal quarter of 2009, we are offering flat fee billing arrangements on all parentage orders, and on most of our adoption services. By establishing flat fee billing arrangements we hope to reduce people’s worry regarding how much their legal fees will be to adopt domestically and/or to establish their genetic relationship with their child conceived through third party assisted reproductive arrangements.
If you have any questions or require specific information for yourself or even your friends, please do not hesitate to contact me and I would be happy to speak with you about making your family building more affordable. You can reach me by email at Liz@StorkLawyer.com
Please check our website frequently as we will be providing specific details regarding:
The Stork Lawyer Economic Stimulus Plan of 2009!
Thank you,
Elizabeth Swire Falker, Esq.
p.s. Nothing in this blog shall be deemed to create an attorney-client relationship and we may not be able to provide legal counsel and advice to all persons who contact the office in response to this blog post due to ethical restrictions imposed upon the office. However, please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or to see if we can assist you.
Tags: adoption, Economy, Egg Donation, Finances, Parentage
April 14, 2009 | By: Liz | Filed under: Current Affairs,Infertility In The Movies etc.
I want to express my profound appreciation and delight to see that someone in Hollywood actually admitted to suffering through infertility and going so far as to give an interview in People Magazine about it. Even better, while she acknowledged that people have a right to privacy (especially during such a profoundly challenging time in their lives) that: “I only want to say we might not have as much time as think we have [to get pregnant].”
Three cheers to George Lopez star Constance Marie for her honesty about her struggle to conceive her beautiful baby girl and the impact age can have on infertility!
And welcome to little Luna Marie. You have an awesome Mom, and I know you will grow up to be an incredible human being with a mother as brave, centered, and caring as Constance Marie. Congratulations to the Happy Family!
Now I am off to write a letter to People’s editors!!
