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Why you should have a surrogacy consultation

Becoming a parent is an extraordinary experience, and by meeting with us and sharing your story, you'll better understand the guidance and support you'll have from us at every moment of your journey.

What is a surrogacy consultation?

What is a surrogacy consultation?

During complimentary consultations, prospective parents typically meet with a process consultant and an attorney to review our programs and our agency protocols. Since every intended parent is looking for something different, our consultation team addresses the process of matching with an egg donor and/or a surrogate, legal implications, insurance, surrogacy costs and financing (if applicable).
Am I ready for a Consult?

The surrogacy consultation: what to expect

A surrogacy consultation is a two to two-and-a-half hour meeting with the consult team at Circle. You can look at this meeting in two parts: speaking with a Parent Intake Associate and speaking with a Lawyer.

Speaking with a Parent Intake Associate

Circle likes to begin the consultation by asking that you share your story with our team. We like to hear why you want children and how you came to surrogacy, what your support system looks like, whether friends or family know you’re interested in surrogacy, how you'll prepare for your child once your surrogate mother becomes pregnant, etc. Every surrogacy journey is unique, and we are interested in hearing your story, so we can better personalize our consultation to your needs.

Your Intake Associate will walk you through the surrogacy process, talk with you about what to expect in the journey, and what we expect of intended parents so that they can have a successful journey. We'll answer all of your questions, and tailor our conversation to ensure you are getting all of the information you need to make an informed decision about your path to parenthood.

This conversation is usually the first hour or so of your consult.

Speaking with a lawyer

All surrogacy journeys have a legal aspect: writing up contracts with your carrier/egg donor, and establishing your parental rights. At Circle, you will have legal support throughout your entire journey, and you will have access to our legal team from your very first meeting with us.

Your lawyer will speak to you about the legalities of the process, and what legal needs you specifically will have depending on where you live and who you are. You will also discuss the costs of surrogacy – and we will explain how to look at surrogacy costs, how to compare surrogacy costs, and what you should expect from your surrogacy agency. We will also discuss financing and financial planning options with intended parents.

The conversation with your lawyer is generally about an hour long.

At the end of every consultation, we give intended parents plenty of time to ask any questions and review any areas that might be unclear.

If you'd like to schedule a consultation, please fill out this short form to tell us a little bit about yourself.

Questions to ask during your consultation

As intended parents you will undoubtedly have lots of questions...and we expect you to!

Some of the questions you will have will be personalized to your surrogacy experience. Other questions may come up that are more general about surrogacy and the process, or even how to go about choosing an agency.

Here are topics or questions to consider when meeting with a surrogacy agency:

  1. Agency Experience & Success Rates
  2. What are the costs? What do they include?
  3. What services are offered?
  4. How are your surrogates screened? Are they fully screened prior to matching?
  5. Journey support for Parents and Surrogates
  6. Timeline and match time
  7. Does the agency handle legal and insurance?
  8. How is my money held? Is there an escrow account?
  9. How do you match parents and surrogates?
  10. Is there financing available?

These are just some questions intended parents may have when first starting out. The link below is an in-depth checklist of questions parents can use while speaking with agencies, and is a great tool to use to compare different agency's offerings to find the best fit.

Agency Question Checklist

We've been there.

Many of our staff members at Circle Surrogacy are parents through surrogacy and/or egg donation. If you ever have any questions, we're always happy to share our experiences with you so that you hear firsthand what others have gone through.

Small Purple Heart Meet Our Team

Committed to helping control costs.

To offset some expenses of surrogacy, Circle Surrogacy is committed to keeping costs as low as possible through strategic partnerships and financing options for gay, heterosexual and international individuals and couples.

Small Purple Heart See Our Costs Overview

Common questions from parents like you.

As you consider parenthood, you may have questions along the way. Don't worry. With 25+ years of experience, we've helped parents navigate surrogacy and their journeys to parenthood, and have answered almost every question out there!
Why should I choose Circle Surrogacy?

Whether you are an intended parent, a surrogate or an egg donor, when you embark on a journey with Circle, we promise to be beside you every step of the way. We promise to educate, lead and guide you through your surrogacy and egg donation journey. We will work tirelessly to help you achieve success and fulfill your dream.

We are a full-service agency. You will work closely with a Journey Coordination team who will guide and support you throughout your entire journey, including social work, legal and billing support. Circle is the only agency in the world to provide unparalleled program offerings for parents, such as unlimited surrogate and egg donor matching, and an unlimited IVF package. We employ an in-house legal staff who is well-versed in reproductive and surrogacy law and insurance contracts.

At Circle, we have the highest level of dedication to building families than any other agency. We'll help you navigate the road, smooth the bumps, and cheer when we reach our destination. Every person who works at Circle is dedicated to doing everything they can to help you build your family. The Circle Staff goes above and beyond to help you achieve your dream of parenthood.

How do I begin the process?
Starting your surrogacy begins with a free consultation. You'll hear from an experienced attorney as well as a process consultant. We'll tell you about our program offerings, ask you about your experience so far, and answer any questions you have.
How long does the whole surrogacy process take?
The length of the process depends on several factors. We typically tell intended parents that they should plan on a year and a half from the time they sign on with our agency until they have a child, although it can be quicker or longer depending on the legal requirements involved and the course of the IVF treatment.
Will I need an attorney?
If you live outside the United States, you may find it advantageous to work with an immigration attorney from your home country. You may also need to consult with a family law attorney in your country for help finalizing your parental rights when you return. Finally, some intended parents hire an independent attorney to review our Agreement for Services before signing on with us. Most people do not feel it necessary to find counsel for this purpose, but they do review the Agreement carefully and occasionally request edits and make comments before signing. Once you have joined our program, however, Circle’s legal team will act as your counsel for all legal matters related to the surrogacy in the United States. We will represent you for the negotiation of any contracts with the surrogate and egg donor and will work with local attorneys across the United States to finalize your parental rights.
Can I be a parent if I'm single?

​Of course! We work with intended parents of all backgrounds—single individuals, same-sex couples and heterosexual couples.

Where will my surrogate deliver my child?
Most of our surrogates already have relationships with an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and many will deliver at the same hospital where they gave birth to their own children. All surrogates will deliver at a hospital near their home. The decision about where to deliver is typically made in conjunction with the OBGYN and the insurance company, which may have a network of approved providers and hospitals. Occasionally, our legal team will recommend that a delivery occur at a specific hospital.

Intended parents often wish to be a part of the labor and delivery process. Hospital policy and your surrogate’s comfort play a large role in determining who will be able to be present in the delivery room. Following the birth, the baby will either remain in the nursery or a room assigned to you. According to most hospital policies, the child cannot be released from the hospital until the surrogate has been released.
What IVF clinics do you work with?
We have built relationships with several IVF clinics across the country. These relationships allow you to take advantage of special pricing packages we have negotiated. However, the decision of which fertility clinic to use is entirely the decision of the intended parents. Circle Surrogacy will work with any fertility clinic that the intended parents choose, as long as they will be able to coordinate with our agency. We encourage intended parents to evaluate several fertility clinics and choose the one that they feel meets their needs. When you are choosing a clinic, you should consider some of these things: your personality fit with the doctor and other medical staff, your comfort with their process, and the clarity of their financial information.
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