The good news concerning modern methods of family building for infertile couples has not reached the general populace. Due to confidentiality and privacy considerations, the overwhelming success story is not publicized, and consequently the public focuses on the rare instance where a surrogate does not surrender the child she carried to its intended parents. ²

With the advent of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer, infertile couples now can consider sperm, egg, and embryo donation, as well as artificial insemination (AI)/traditional, gestational, and donor surrogacies to solve their reproductive problems. Sara Clay maintains an active third party assisted reproductive technology (A.R.T.) law and surrogacy practice in the metro-Atlanta, Georgia area.

Sara Clay assumed the practice of Mark A. Johnson, whose legal representation of surrogates and intended parents included the State of Georgia’s first gestational surrogacy, as well as AI/traditional and donor surrogacies. Mr. Johnson still serves as a consultant to Sara when needed.

Sara has continued the practice in third party A.R.T. surrogacy arrangements, including drafting egg, sperm, and donation contracts and surrogacy and cryopreservations contracts. She frequently provides representation in required court proceedings throughout the state.

Sara, and her paralegal, Kim Perez, look forward to assisting you in exploring your family building options.

For more information on specific legal services, see the Gestational Surrogacy, Traditional (AI) Surrogacy, and Egg/Embryo Donation pages. The Resources page references additional information sources in A.R.T.

1 Lori Andrews, Medical Ethicist from Chicago-Kent College of Law, on CBS's Face the Nation, November 23, 1997

2 Much of the success/failure evidence in surrogacy and third party A.R.T. is anecdotal. This attempt at study is unlikely to be statistically valid due to privacy inclinations.

That established, the best source of information is Andrew Vorzimer of the Beverly Hills, California firm of Vorzimer, Garber, Masserman, and Ecoff.  Andy reports that there have been in excess of 16,000 surrogate deliveries since 1979. Of these, there were 24 reported instances of surrogates repudiating the contract and attempting to keep custody; and there were 65 reported instances of intended parents attempting to abandon a pregnant surrogate without fulfilling their commitment to accept the children upon birth.

What this indicates is that surrogacy is successful 99.44% of the time, both in terms of the parents accepting the children upon their birth, and in terms of the surrogate surrendering the children upon birth.