Please note our membership is not open widely to new IP's. Please join our open Facebook group COTS Surrogacy The Ultimate Gift. Be pro-active as we tend to invite couples to join COTS from that group when a surrogate chooses you or we have spaces available. If you have your own surrogate you may join immediately.
Our books our always open to potential surrogates, you are welcome anytime. There is no cost for a surrogate to join us.
Other surrogacy groups you could possibly try are SUK, My Surrogacy Journey (MSJ) & Brilliant Beginnings
Links
Here are some useful links that people have asked us to list, Surrogacy in the UK, Other Organisations, Groups and Government Bodies.
Please note C.O.T.S. does not sanction any of these external links and cannot be held responsible for any of their content. Should you find a link that isnt working please email us with details to kim@surrogacy.org.uk.
Counselling
BICA Accredited counsellors are recognised by the HFEA.
https://www.bica.net/find-a-counsellor
Adoption & Fostering
Breast feeding your child
La Leche League GB
Website http://www.laleche.org.uk
National Breast Feeding Helpline
Website http://www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk/
Cancer Support
Cancer Research UK
Website http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
Daisy Network
Early Ovarian Failure Support Group and Endometriosis.
Website http://www.daisynetwork.org.uk/
Childbirth
National Childbirth Trust
Website: https://www.nct.org.uk/
Active Birth Centre
Website http://activebirthcentre.com/
Birthchoiceuk
Website http://www.which.co.uk/birth-choice
Conception & Kits
SME Fertility
Ovulation & Pregnancy Kits etc.
Website http://www.sme-fertility.co.uk/
Babystart Ltd
Website https://babystart.co.uk/
Medisave (UK) Ltd
Website http://www.medisave.co.uk/
Request a basic DBS check - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Government Bodies
British Medical Association
BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP Telephone: 020 7387 4499 - Fax: 020 7383 6400 Website http://bma.org.uk/
Department of Health
Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS
0207 210 4850 (line open from 10.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday).
Website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Paxton House, 30 Artillery Lane, London E1 7LS
Tel 0207 291 8200 (line open from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday) Fax: 0207 291 8201 Website http://www.hfea.gov.uk/
Surrogacy Act
Some links on the HFEA site that may be of interest - Section 27/28/29/30 regards surrogacy
HFEA ACT 1990 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/37/contents)
Section 27 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/37/contents#mdiv27)
Section 30 (http://www.surrogacy.org.uk/pdf/section30hfea.pdf)
Children's Act (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents)
Surrogacy Act (http://www.surrogacy.org.uk/pdf/Sur-act.pdf)
Independent Midwives
Independent Midwifery UK
Website: http://www.imuk.org.uk/
Infertility Support Groups
Fertility Friends
Website http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/
Infertility Network UK
http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com/
Insurance
Life insurance for surrogate mother's. Single policy for Two year for at least £500,000 on life. If you can afford it please add critical illness cover. Please make sure that the policy is set in place before any attempts at inseminations/transfers take place. It may be the best idea to go to comparison sites to get the most competitive rates. Premiums vary from £77.00 per month to £96.00 per month including critical illness cover.
Aviva
http://www.aviva.co.uk/insurance/
Scottish Widows
Legal & General
Joshua Gerstler of The Orchard Practice (Life insurance)
FPFS, Cert SMP, FCA
Chartered Financial Planner
020 8953 8687
www.topfs.co.uk
2 Penta Court, Station Road
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1SL
IVF International Couriers
Maternity Rights
Children's and Family act new information (includes new maternity rights and pay information)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-children-and-families-act-2014-gains-royal-assent
https://www.gov.uk/legal-rights-when-using-surrogates-and-donors/maternity-leave
Additionally a surrogate can get advice through the ACAS Helpline which is the official organisation that helps resolve issues
between employees and employers. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042
Medical Tests
COTS members receive a very good discount rate for blood tests at TDL, up to half of what an IVF unit charges.
The Doctors Laboratory
58 Wimpole Street, London W1M 8LQ
Telephone +44 (0)20 7307 7373 - Fax +44 (0)20 7307 7374
Website http://www.tdlpathology.com/ Email tdl@tdlpathology.com
For all medical tests required by COTS ie HIV etc. + DNA testing
DNA Diagnostics Centre
Non Evasive Pre Natal DNA Testing
http://www.dna-bioscience.co.uk/prenatal-testing.php
Miscarriage/Recurrent Miscarriages
Miscarriage Association
http://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/
Legal Support
Please note COTS cannot recommend one solicitor over another. Please check their fees before proceeding.
For the writing of wills any local solicitor can be used. Parental Orders do not always require a solicitor, it's your choice entirely. Surrogacy Agreements are unenforceable by law so no solicitor required for them either.
Michelle Miller
www.surrogacy wills.co.uk
Email: michelle@surrogacywills.co.uk
Telephone: 07702894710
Fees £125.00 for each will to include letter to clinic.
For a Non Will client the fee is just £49.00 for the legal letters for your IVF units.
Michelle is an expert in writing wills for surrogacy arrangements and also legal letters for your IVF units. As an IP herself she knows exactly how it all works and her fees are ultra reasonable. Check it out for yourselves.
Almond Wills
Telephone: 0843 886 5767
Email: enquiry@almondwills.com
Very reasonable fees.
Penningtons Manches Cooper
Bethan is an associate in the family team in Guildford. She advises on all areas of private family law. She has a particular specialism in domestic and international surrogacy arrangements and frequently advises intended parents on their legal status. Her approach is to focus on finding a creative solution which works best for her clients’ individual situation and she has been described in The Legal 500 as ‘thorough, professional and knowledgeable’.
Bethan has written about surrogacy for a number of publications, including The Times and Glamour magazine, and last year was nominated for Surrogacy Professional of the Year at the National Surrogacy Awards. She has also appeared on BBC 1’s The Big Questions for a debate on surrogacy. You can follow Bethan on Instagram, @thesurrogacysolicitor, where she posts about surrogacy and fertility law in an attempt to raise awareness and make information more accessible for intended parents and surrogates.
bethan.carr@penningtonslaw.com
01483 791807
Fees are £250.00 plus VAT
Laytons LLP
Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street,
London EC2N 1ER
Tel: 020 7842 8000 London
Contact is Andrew Spearman
Andrew is an experienced family law practitioner with a specialism in Surrogacy & Fertility law. He became a Partner at Laytons in 2019 and is Head of the Family Team, ensuring the highest quality of service and client care for each client.
In 2019, he was identified as a Leading Individual by the Legal 500 team for his work in the field of surrogacy law and parenthood. As a consequence of his extensive work, seminars and involvement with surrogacy charities, he is recognised both as a leader in his field and as having an ability to give practical, proportionate solutions to complex problems.
Fees are also £250.00 plus VAT
Russell-Cooke
Knowing that legal fees are another financial burden for intended parents / surrogates we do all we can to keep our costs down without comprising our advice service. For a fixed fee of £275 plus VAT we offer an initial legal review meeting (with myself) and a letter to the clinic following the meeting which confirms legal advice has been given. At present all of my meetings are taking place remotely either via Zoom or Teams but I am open to telephone consultations if that works better for the intended parents or surrogate.
To explain, the above advice service, is designed to give intended parents the information and confidence they need to go on and self-manage the parental order application but for those who feel they need a bit more support, I can be on standby and help in whatever way they like.
Jade Quirke
Associate
Direct: +44 (0)20 8541 2024
Main: +44 (0)20 8546 6111
Mobile: +44 (0)7593 820 368
Jade.Quirke@russell-cooke.co.uk
russell-cooke.co.uk
Freeths LLP
Freeths LLP is a firm of solicitors providing specialist help and advice to parents and parents-to-be. We guide our clients through all of the legal issues around domestic and international surrogacy, fertility treatment and donor conception.
Contact is Tom Burgess
Tel 0845 404 1715 Mobile 07809 091487
Rachael Oakes
Partner and Joint Head of the Family Wealth Team
T: 0845 128 6960
F: 0845 050 3200
M: 07972 753265
Fees £550.00 plus VAT
http://www.freeths.co.uk/legal-services/individuals/family-law/surrogacy-law/
Mills & Reeve
Two Specialist Contacts
Amy Starnes tel 0207 648 9256
email: amy.starnes@mills-reeve.com
Rose-Marie Drury tel 0161 235 5443
email:rose-marie.drury@mills-reeve.com
Stowe Family Law
Are the largest family law firm in the UK with 18 offices all over the country.
Tel is 0330 404 6068 https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/children/surrogacy
Anthony Gold LLP
Fiona Lyon: Partner
Contact: fiona.lyon@anthonygold.co.uk
Tel: 0207 940 4060; 07976864475
Address: The Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN