Establishing Parental Rights

Oftentimes in third-party assisted reproductive arrangements where a gestational surrogate has delivered a child, the non-genetic parent will need to take steps to establish their legal parent-child relationship. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the conception and delivery of your child, you may need to enter into a step-parent or second parent adoption proceeding in New York, even if your child was not born in New York. If you used a compassionate gestational surrogate in New York and are the genetic mother of the child your gestational surrogate delivered, I can help you obtain a post-birth parentage order establishing that you are your child’s mother and directing the issuance of a birth certificate with your name on it instead of your gestational surrogate’s name. My office regularly assists clients with these types of proceedings to establish parental rights and we would be happy to help answer any questions you may have, or assist you in establishing your parental rights.