Growing your family across borders can offer families unique opportunities. However, when your journey involves international surrogacy, you are navigating a complex intersection of Missouri state law, foreign statutes, and federal immigration requirements.
As your international surrogacy lawyers at Foster +Bloom, we provide the specialized expertise needed to bridge these gaps. We can help you find a clear path forward through all of the complexities of laws, ensuring your family is protected both abroad and here at home in Missouri.
Why International Surrogacy Requires Legal Guidance
International surrogacy depends on the coordination of legal standards between different countries.
As both a medical process and a high-stakes legal undertaking, it is vital to have an international surrogacy lawyerwho understands how a foreign birth will be viewed by Missouri courts and how you can stay protected.
Legal complexity impacts everyone involved—from ensuring that legal contracts are enforceable across borders to protecting the rights of intended parents and surrogates in different jurisdictions.
Is International Surrogacy Legal in Missouri?
Navigating international surrogacy as a Missouri resident requires a strategic approach. Missouri does not have a specific statute expressly authorizing gestational surrogacy, and contracts are not always clearly enforceable within the state.
Because of this, Missouri families must be careful to choose surrogate countries that have established, surrogacy-friendly legal frameworks. While Missouri may not have a “roadmap” in its own statutes, our international surrogacy attorneys know how to utilize post-birth orders and adoption to ensure your foreign surrogacy journey is recognized and respected by the state.
Legal Risks and Complexities in International Surrogacy
Without authoritative legal guidance, families can face overwhelming hurdles. Our role is to help you avoid risks such as:
- Statelessness: If a child is not recognized as a citizen of the birth country or the U.S., they could become a stateless child—a child without citizenship to any country.
- Blocked Exit: Without an required travel documents for your baby, families may be unable to leave the birth country following delivery.
- Non-Recognition of Parentage: Missouri typically requires a domestication of foreign surrogacy judgment or a confirmatory adoption to ensure your names are properly placed on a Missouri-recognized birth certificate.
What Surrogates Need to Know About Cross-Border Surrogacy
If you are a gestational carrier in an international arrangement, your rights and physical/emotional boundaries must be legally prioritized.
International surrogacy arrangements and legal regulation at the international level varies significantly depending on the countries you are in and the country the baby is going to. We advocate for ethical surrogacy by ensuring you have independent legal representation to review legal contracts and international surrogacy terms.
Whether you are a U.S. surrogate working with international parents or vice versa, we work to ensure your health, compensation, and legal protections are ironclad.
How Foster + Bloom Supports International Surrogacy Clients
As a leading international surrogacy law group, we provide proactive planning that begins before the first medical milestone. Our international surrogacy attorney team offers:
- Strategic Jurisdictional Planning: Helping you understand where international surrogacy is legal and which countries offer the safest path for Missouri families.
- Citizenship Coordination: Serving as your lawyer for documents like the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for surrogacy abroad to secure your child’s U.S. passport and citizenship.
- Parentage Security: Guiding you through the process of second parent adoption after international surrogacy to ensure your rights are protected in every state.
The International Surrogacy Process, Step by Step
Our team can help you with the following legal steps:
Step 1 Consultation & Country Selection: We review international surrogacy laws and standards to find the best country match for your needs.
Step 2 Contracting: Drafting or reviewing international agreements to ensure they meet U.S. and Missouri legal standards.
Step 3 Pregnancy & Birth Coordination: Working with foreign counsel to prepare for the delivery and immediate legal steps.
Step 4 U.S. Consular Processing: Managing surrogacy birth certificate apostille or other documentation that allows us to file for the child’s U.S. citizenship.
Step 5 Missouri Finalization: Completing a domestication of foreign surrogacy judgment or adoption once you return home.
Establishing U.S. Citizenship and Legal Parentage
Bringing your baby home is the ultimate goal. For a parent-child citizenship transmission in surrogacy, we ensure all genetic and residency requirements are met according to federal law. We guide you through the DNA testing and Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) process to ensure your child enters the U.S. with full protection. Once back in Missouri, we help you navigate the local court system to finalize your legal parentage, ensuring you have a birth record that is recognized everywhere you go.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Whether you are just beginning to ask where is surrogacy legal or are ready to begin a global journey, Foster + Bloom is here to guide you home. Our international surrogacy specialists combine unmatched expertise with the empathy your family deserves.