Source Legal Futures
With surrogacy statistics now showing that Parental Orders have increased four-fold in the last ten years in England and Wales, it is an encouraging sign that England and Wales are beginning to identify itself as a preferred choice of venue for surrogacy on an altruistic basis. In addition to that with the expected changes in 2022 it does leave most professionals and academics in this field feeling positive about the future ahead in the field of surrogacy and fertility law. The Law Commission is currently undertaking an independent review of surrogacy in England and Wales, and this is expected to conclude in 2022.
Parental Orders, which transfer legal parentage from the surrogate in England and Wales rose from 117 in 2011 to 413 in 2020, as identified by a report from Kent University. Statistics suggest that at least two-third of applicants are now mixed-sex couples. In 2020 it was recorded that 413 parental orders were issued to Intended Parents. With the increase in Parental Orders and that including same-sex couples it can be said that ‘there is a need for a uniformed structure’ to asset all Intended Parents.
