Men Who Drink Alcohol May Lower Chance of IVF Success

By Lokin Cheung, Legal Assistant of the Law Office of Gregory S. Masler Throughout history, women have been told many “Dont’s” at every stage of pregnancy. However, on January 31, 2023, in an article by Jennifer Gauntt of Texas A&M University, Ms. Gauntt holds that not only should women be prepared for pregnancy, but men should also be aware of …

Caught in the War Zone

By Thomas H. Yau As the people of Ukraine continue to suffer from the Russian invasion, there are many questions left unanswered for the World, including what about the Surrogacy arrangements caught in the crossfire of war? As one of the leading countries in commercial surrogacy, Ukraine based agencies have assisted countless Intended Parents with their surrogacy needs. When war …

Will the Tiger Baby Come in Time?

By Thomas H. Yau Within the vastness of this world lies a variety of traditions and cultures, each with its appealing uniqueness. Among Chinese traditions, the year of a different zodiac can mean many things. Chinese parents would often wait years until the right year for having a baby. For this year of Tiger, it has a lot in store …

A Simple Revisit to the Legal Basics – The Importance of a Surrogacy Contract

One of the revolving themes surrounding surrogacy is undoubtedly the importance of having a well-written Surrogacy Contract. Putting formality aside, why is it so important anyway? In California, Intended Parent(s) cannot establish legal parentage unless there is a valid Surrogacy Contract, and there is no other way around it. Surrogacy laws across the United States vary, and often dramatically; the …

Surrogacy on the Big Screen

Surrogacy is not only about family formation and the medical and legal issues associated with these types of arrangements, but it is the subject for movies and TV shows Worldwide. Sometimes, movies serve as great reflection of our reality; we see the hardships and happiness dramatically portrayed on screen, yet we often cannot help but indulge ourselves in this unexplainable …

The Start of Something New (My Reflection on Completing Law School)

Growing up as a kid in Hong Kong, a city that only seemed to offer limited career options, my young self would never have imagined that I now have “Juris Doctor” after my name.  It was not long ago when I first walked into my law school lecture hall, and now, I am ready to sit for the Bar Examination …

Who Wants To Talk About Money?

By Stephanie Kippen Since I began working at the Law Offices of Gregory S. Masler, egg donation and surrogacy arrangements have grown exponentially, and the California legislature has attempted to keep up with the growth of this industry. Amongst the laws enacted in California; egg donation and surrogacy agencies are prohibited from retaining funds from Intended Parents which will be …

NY Governor Reminds Surrogates and Parents of Surrogacy Rights and Protections

Great news for the surrogacy world! New York is heading in the right direction to protect surrogates. Governor Cuomo Reminds Surrogates and Parents of Their New Insurance Rights and Protections During Gestational Surrogacy https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-reminds-surrogates-and-parents-their-new-insurance-rights-and-protections-during

A Surrogate Mom Shares Her Story

Kassandra Wilsey, a professor at California State University Northridge, shares her Surrogacy journey about helping a same-sex couple in San Francisco start a family. I met a couple of people through the lawyer, and that felt weird, like, “Why should I get to choose who gets to have a child?” It was hard when you didn’t mesh with families. But …

What is a Pre-Birth Order?

A “Pre-Birth Order” is a term used for the Judgement of Parentage establishing the parent-child relationship between the Intended Parents and the child(ren) that their Gestational Surrogate is carrying. The attorneys involved in the surrogacy arrangement collect essential information from their respective clients for the pleadings and related documents. Typically, the Intended Parents’ attorney will accumulate the information provided by …

Typical Fees for a Surrogacy Arrangement

This fee is paid to a Surrogacy Agency for services relating to your Surrogacy journey. This typically covers advertising, interviewing, approving, and screening Surrogates, attending selected medical appointments, supporting you and your Surrogate, managing escrow disbursements, holding support group meetings for Surrogates, and managing your case from beginning to end. This fee should be expected for Intended Parents residing outside …

A Legal Roadmap for Intended Parents Interested in Egg Donation

Intended Parents considering using an Egg Donor should first consult with an experienced Third-Party Reproductive Attorney. Advice from an attorney is important for protecting the rights of the Intended Parents and their future children. Legal Ramifications of Different Egg Donation Options There are many different types of Egg Donation arrangements available including known donor matches, anonymous donor arrangements (in which …

Attorneys are the Custodians of the Surrogacy Process

Although the concept of Surrogacy might seem very straightforward, the California government has imposed numerous Surrogacy laws in order to safeguard the interests of both parties to the Surrogacy Agreement; the Intended Parents and the Surrogate Mother, and to protect the interests of the child born as a result of a Surrogacy arrangement. It is important that every party involved …

AAARTA Denver 2016 Annual Conference

Check out some pictures from Greg Masler’s Denver visit. Greg recently spoke at AAARTA’s 2016 annual conference in Denver and was part of a three-person panel called “Bad Gestational Carrier Agreements: They’re Good for No One.” Learn more about AAARTA (American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys).

Surrogacy Arrangements Increase as China’s One-Child Policy Ends

Surrogacy agencies, fertility clinics and family law firms are seeing an increase in demand for services due to the end of China’s one-child policy, which occurred in January 2016. But the government began to phase out the program last year before brining it to an end Jan. 1. Many Chinese Intended Parents look for gender selection and genetic studies of …

Countries Restricting Surrogacy Arrangements for Intended Parents

A Surrogacy Arrangement in the United States can cost Intended Parents approximately $120,000 USD. Options in other countries can be half that cost, but these countries are limiting or restricting Surrogacy Arrangements due to fears of Surrogate Mother exploitation. “India, Nepal, Thailand and Mexico have introduced measures that would limit or ban foreigners from hiring locals as surrogate mothers,” explains …