Parental Order Application
Before you make a Parental Order application, make sure that you can meet the criteria under S.54 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.
To make your Parental Order application you need to complete a C51 application form. You will need the child’s birth certificate and evidence of your marital status if applicable. A separate Parental Order application is needed for each child.
You will need three copies of each application. The original is retained by the court, one for cafcass and one to serve on each of the Respondents (surrogate and her husband/partner).
The court fee is currently £215 per application not per child. You need to make your cheque payable to ‘HMCTS’.
Post the application by recorded delivery to the family section at your local Family Centre. Chase this up if you have not heard back within 14days. If the application is urgent, go to the Family Centre and issue your Parental Order application in person. If your case is following an international surrogacy arrangement the Family Centre will arrange for your case to be transferred to the High Court.
A cafcass officer will be appointed to independently review your case and report to the court. You will be given directions for the progress of your case. There are usually two Hearings or one Hearing in the Family Centre for surrogacy in the UK.
Please call surrogacy lawyers for advice on a Parental Order application following surrogacy on 01727 884 688 / 07980 917882 or e-mail directly on harjit@surrogacylawyers.co.uk
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I provide legal advice on surrogacy based on the law in England and Wales.
I have acted for clients working with many agencies across the world. I will not recommend any surrogacy provider, destination, agency or clinic. If my advice concludes that you can become legal parents following the arrangement you are considering, it should not be taken as advice to proceed. If I have acted for couples who have entered into similar arrangements, you should not take that as advice to proceed. You must always do your own due diligence on any agency / destination. A successful arrangement for someone else won’t always mean a successful arrangement for you. I will not take part in any negotiations for your surrogacy arrangement nor, will I review your surrogacy contract.