Harjit Sarang – Surrogacy Lawyer

Surrogacy Lawyers – provides legal advice on surrogacy in the UK or, surrogacy abroad.

I am a solicitor qualified since 1998.  I have always been a family law solicitor but in 2008, I took an interest in surrogacy law following my own fertility journey. Surrogacy Lawyers is a firm that I set up when 100% of my workflow became surrogacy law.  I now exclusively practice surrogacy law.

Over the years, my practice has grown organically giving me key experience to cover most surrogacy destinations across the globe.  I have never paid for any marketing or advertising. My clients are referred to me by satisfied clients or professionals with knowledge of my work and experience.  I do not pay nor do I receive, referral fees from any clinic or agency.  My business is built on trust and recommendations as the testimonials show.

All my advice to you is completely impartial.  My role is to provide you with bespoke legal advice about surrogacy and how to become the legal parent.  I have vast experience of surrogacy cases and I am commended for being approachable, affordable and reliable.

In my experience, most surrogacy arrangements are successful and I have advised over 700 clients on arrangements in over 25 different countries. By successful, I mean that the Intended Parents had a positive experience and obtained a Parental Order declaring them to be the legal parents.

I have secured over 300 Parental Orders at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, before most of the High Court Judges.  I have also secured Orders before The President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice Sir Andrew McFarlane for cases of surrogacy in Argentina, surrogacy in Colombia, surrogacy in Ghana and surrogacy in Greece.

At the start of the process, you decide on a country and agency to work with following your own research and detailed due diligence, that I will guide you how to do.  I will support you throughout so that the process of you returning to the UK with your child and eventually becoming legal parent according to UK law, runs smoothly.

Your research will include asking the right questions of your agency/clinic to ensure that amongst other things, exploitation does not take place.   In surrogacy arrangements most of the time, the risk of exploitation is with the surrogate but, there will be times when you as Intended parents are at risk.

Do not assume that popular destinations are safe and require no research.  The most difficult cases that I have worked on, have been following breakdowns in the US and the UK. I make a point of saying this because you will always read about how the UK and US are safe destinations for surrogacy.  No destination is risk free including the UK.

The points below demonstrate what can go wrong and it’s important for me to share that with you so that you go into the arrangement with your eyes open. These are rare and very unusual situations but I want you to have some reassurance that I have already acted in these situations. Please feel free to contact me for information on any of the listed case examples if you wish to know more.  

The 2020 covid-19 pandemic put a spotlight on certain destinations for surrogacy.  In some places, clinics/agents completely failed IPs and surrogates leaving babies in legal limbo and transferred to orphanages.  The pandemic also uncovered the obvious dangers of engaging in travelling surrogate programs due to border closures.  In international surrogacy, you also need to be aware of the risks of human trafficking.    

I have experience navigating couples through the following complex situations:-

1. The law changed suddenly making the arrangement illegal.
2. Surrogate changed her mind and retained the child.
3. The surrogate disappeared.
4. A termination request was refused and the child was born with multiple disabilities.
5. The intended parents had difficulty proving domicile.
6. Intended parents were over 70 years of age.
7. Multiple births took place (4) in one surrogacy arrangement.
8. The deadline for making an application for a Parental Order expired.
9. Local Ministry of Health refused to issue a birth certificate.
10. Legal father refused to provide consent following a divorce.
11. Surrogate demanded funds in excess of what was agreed.
12. Surrogate went incommunicado during the pregnancy, retained the child at birth and the IP’s applied for the child to live with them.
13. Domestic violence between Intended Parents.
14. Intended parents were stuck in a destination for 8 months awaiting the child’s first British Passport.
15. Clinic refused to co-operate and provide paperwork/invoices to the intended parents regarding payments to the surrogate.
16. Child taken into care prior to the Parental Order being granted.
17. Embryos exported to another jurisdiction.
18. IP’s separated before the child was born.
19. Secured Emergency Travel Documents for clients in Ukraine, Cyprus and Georgia during the covid-19 lockdown at no additional charge to my clients.
20. Biologically connected male IP separated from female IP and tried to secure a Parental Order as a single applicant.
21. Single female IP – double donation – surrogacy – adoption.
22. Single gay father – travelling Ukrainian surrogate.
23. Covid-19 – travel to and from destinations.
24. Travelling surrogates – multiple issues.
25. Surrogate demanded payment for Parental Order consents.
26. Intended parents introduced to the wrong surrogate.

You may call me to discuss my experiences in different countries.  I cannot/will not assist you if you have not acted in good faith and complied with the law in the country where the surrogacy takes place.  

Please visit the testimonials page and read what other couples say about me.