A parental order is the legal process that allows intended parents to become the legal parents of a child born through a surrogacy arrangement. This order is granted by a court after the child’s birth and transfers parental responsibility from the surrogate mother to the intended parents, giving them full legal rights and responsibilities over the child. Parental Orders are mandatory for all cases of international surrogacy.

To be eligible for a parental order in the UK, the intended parents must meet certain criteria. They must be over 18, and at least one of them must be genetically related to the child (either through sperm or egg donation). The intended parents must also be in a stable relationship, whether married, civil partners, or living together for at least 2 years. The surrogate mother must have given her consent, and the application must be made within six months of the child’s birth. Additionally, the child must live with the intended parents at the time of the application.

There is a specific process that needs to be followed to obtain a parental order; including the gathering of required evidence which is presented to the court in a court bundle and completion of specific government forms (C51, C52 & A101A).

SOL Surrogacy can walk you through the end-to-end process; can provide relevant required templates and support the official translation process.