Assisted Reproductive Technology Law in Portland

The field of infertility has sparked the growth of a new legal field, commonly referred to as Family Building Law or Reproductive Technology Law. New family-building options raise new legal questions because many of them use the services of a third party, including sperm donors, egg donors, or surrogates.

If you are considering one of those fertility treatments, you should meet with a reproductive law attorney beforehand. You lawyer can help protect your rights and clearly define custody of the resulting child.

Portland Law Practices

Retaining the services of a lawyer who specializes in assisted reproduction law can help protect the rights and clarify the obligations of all those involved. Your reproductive law attorney can also help you deal with insurance claim denials and issues that may arise with embryo disposition.

The following attorneys work with patients in the Portland area:

• Timothy F. Brewer
• Sandra L. Hodgson
• Susan C. Moffet
• Robin Elizabeth Pope

Surrogacy

If you are considering surrogacy, it is especially important that you retain the services of a lawyer who specializes in surrogacy or assisted reproduction. Surrogacy is considered very complex legally. Traditional surrogacy is considered even more complex, since the resulting child is related biologically to the surrogate.

While Oregon law does not specifically deal with surrogacy, court opinions have ruled in favor of surrogacy agreements. However, court opinion has held that surrogacy agreements that have been compensated monetarily can be invalidated by the court.

Your lawyer can draw up a surrogacy agreement. This agreement will clearly state the rights and obligations of the intended parents, as well as the surrogate. It will define the payment for the surrogacy, which cannot exceed living or medical expenses. Perhaps most importantly, the surrogacy agreement will clearly state that the surrogate does not intend to seek custody of the child.

Adoption

If you are considering adoption, retaining the services of an adoption attorney is also important. These attorneys can help you through both domestic and international adoptions.

Adoption attorneys will help you understand how Oregon adoption laws play into your unique situation. They will also draw up a post-adoption agreement, which will clarify the role of the birth parents in the child’s life.