Surrogacy is an emotional and intimate family-building process. Because of this, it’s not surprising that intended parents will have friends or relatives offer to be their gestational surrogate mothers.
So, once again how much is surrogacy if you use a friend? The cost of a surrogate mother will be reduced only if the woman performs her services as a friend or family member rather than for pay. The cost of surrogacy with a friend is similar to the cost of surrogate motherhood through an agency, and ranges from $100,000 to $200,000.
When a sister, cousin or friend offers to carry your baby for you, it is truly special. Such an act of generosity and selflessness is amazing. If you know someone who might be willing to act as a surrogate, consider letting that person know. It is interesting to understand: how much is surrogacy if you use a friend?
How Much Is Surrogacy If You Use A Friend: Total Costs
If you are planning to have a friend or family member act as your gestational carrier, it is important to understand the process, including costs.
The typical cost of a surrogacy includes the following:
-
Surrogate Mother Costs
Surrogacy costs include the surrogate’s base fee, plus additional compensation and benefits for her family or household. If you use a friend or relative as your surrogate, she may not ask for compensation but can charge reasonable expenses incurred while helping to carry your child.
-
Agency Fee
Taking a friend as your surrogate does not mean that you should do an independent journey, and if the agency is not finding a match for you it may still support you through the process.
-
Legal, Screening, and Support for your Surrogate
Even when you're working with a family member or friend, we strongly recommend putting legal contracts in place as well as proper screening of your gestational carrier. Providing emotional support for your surrogate is a good idea. She will have her own legal representation and the full screening that comes with working through an agency, plus her own licensed social worker to talk through any issues she might encounter on the journey.
-
Insurance
Your friend can ask her health insurance provider if its policy covers pregnancy-related expenses. If not, she and the intended parents will need to purchase a separate policy for the surrogate's protection.
-
Parent Legal Rights
These are some of the costs intended parents should expect to pay when putting their names on a baby's birth certificate.
How Much Does Surrogacy Cost With A Friend: Is It Worth It?
For each future parent who decides to use surrogacy, an important question: how much does surrogacy cost with a friend? You may find that using a friend or family member for surrogacy is more emotionally rewarding than hiring someone you do not know, but the costs will be comparable. If you hire a friend or family member for the job, rather than paying her as an employee, your total costs will drop by about $35,000.
In light of these costs, is it possible to save money by not using a surrogacy agency? Although the role of an agency is in part to match intended parents with a surrogate, you may already have someone willing to carry your child. Surrogacy agencies help people who are not familiar with this process, or would like to have professionals manage it. You can learn more about finding the right surrogacy agency for you in our related blog post.
Some agencies require their clients to work with them, while others will give you the option of making your own arrangements. For intended parents who choose not to use an agency, it will be up to them and their surrogate's attorney (if applicable) to coordinate appointments at the clinic; prepare a birth plan with their surrogate; and collect all necessary documents before the baby arrives.
To ensure you get the best results possible, we suggest that you hire a professional. Let's start your journey towards the family of your dream!
