# Legal resources from NatGamble



## NatGamble (Mar 1, 2007)

I'm back lovely people! Thanks for your thread here wondering what had happened to me, and I'm so sorry for my long absence from the boards.

I just wanted to point you all in the direction of the surrogacy area on our new website which contains a comprehensive resource of information about UK surrogacy law - the first ever put together in the UK. It's bang up to date with the new legislation and designed to be as helpful as possible on a very complex subject. Do check it out at www.nataliegambleassociates.com/page/surogacy/22/.

I'd be grateful for any feedback and comments as to anything else you would find useful to include.

Happy reading! 

Natalie
[email protected]


----------



## Alph (Oct 9, 2008)

Hi Nat,

Thanks for the link to the new surrogacy area; it looks to be very useful.  I am wondering if you can point me in the right direction.  I'm thinking about pursuing surrogacy in India, and have recently been in contact with a local lawyer to ask about the legalities of returning to the UK with a child born abroad to a foreign surrogate.  I live in Scotland, but from what I can make out Scottish and English law do not differ greatly when it comes to Parental Orders.  I presume that the HFEA Act is a reserved matter.  

The solicitor I spoke with seemed to think that it would not be necessary to apply for a Parental Order if my partner and my names are on the birth certificate.  However, from reading your website, it seems that we would have to.  Help!  

Would you be able to advise a Scottish couple?

Many thanks.

Katie.


----------



## NatGamble (Mar 1, 2007)

Hi Katie

You do need to be immensely careful about this stuff and, yes, you will almost certainly need a parental order.  The HFE Act applies throughout the UK although there are slightly different rules for Scotland as regards the process you go through etc.  I am an English lawyer, so can't deal with Scottish legal process, but I do have links with a friendly Scottish family lawyer who may be able to help, perhaps together with my specialist knowledge on this area.

Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you want to explore this further.

Best wishes

Natalie


----------



## Viola (Sep 12, 2007)

Hi Natalie,
Just wanted to say congratulations on your appearance on Woman's Hour re surrogacy  and maternity leave on Friday 19th June. I thought you were excellent and I hope that eventually there will be changes to the law around maternity leave for intended mothers and around the timing of the parental order. Thanks very much.
Viola x


----------



## CarolynB (May 17, 2008)

Viola - thanks for letting us know about the piece on Woman's Hour.  Just listened to it through the Woman's Hour web site.  

Natalie - awesome as ever.  Well done you    

Lisa/Gigglygirl - you were great too.  

Good work girls.  Must help raise the profile of the issues that we face as IM, especially around maternity leave.

Carolyn xxxxxx


----------



## NatGamble (Mar 1, 2007)

Awww - thanks Carolyn and Viola

I loved Kim and Lisa's stories, so eloquently told. There is so much negative press about surrogacy, so to hear two women saying what an amazing journey it had been and how positive their relationship with their surrogate was was immensely powerful (and I have to confess that hearing Lisa talk transported me straight back to the days my kids were born and made me feel quite emotional - I'm sure I'm not the only listening mother to have felt that way!).

Here's the link in case anyone else wants to listen:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/01/2009_24_fri.shtml

Natalie


----------



## SuziT (Aug 18, 2007)

Hi Natalie, just a quick question please.........

I live in Nothern Ireland and when we tried to organise a parental order last year we were told that it wasnt possible in Northern Ireland and that we had to go down the route of adoption.  Is that the case?.

many thanks

Nicola.


----------

