Growing and Protecting
Families Since 2005
Compassionate legal expertise in surrogacy and assisted reproduction technology. We guide you through the legal landscape so you can focus on what matters most. We proudly present all families, regardless of nationality, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, race, etc.
Experience You Can Trust
Ross & Zuckerman is a boutique law firm dedicated exclusively to the practice of building and protecting families. We bring decades of experience to the table, ensuring that your journey to parenthood is legally secure.
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Frequently Asked Questions???
Intended Parents
Why do I need an attorney?
While gamete donation and surrogacy journeys are deeply personal, they are also complex legal processes governed by specific statutes and caselaw. Engaging an experienced attorney is essential to protect your rights and the rights of your family.
What is the purpose of the legal contract?
Every journey is unique. We create detailed agreements that define intent, expectations, financial responsibilities, and potential "what-if" scenarios so both you and the gestational surrogate/gamete donor are on the same page before any medical treatment begins.
Are the laws the same in every state?
No. Laws regarding assisted reproduction vary significantly by state. It is critical to ensure your arrangement complies with Illinois law.
Is Illinois a friendly state for gestational surrogacy and gamete donation?
Yes. Illinois has long been recognized as one of the most surrogacy and gamete donation friendly states in the country, and with the most recent changes to the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act and Equality for Every Family Act the legislature has reaffirmed its commitment to ethical and accessible family-building arrangements.
Will the gestational surrogate have any legal rights to our child?
No. pursuant to the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act, intended parent(s) who fully comply with the law will be the legal parents immediately at the time of birth.
Will the egg, sperm or embryo donor have any legal rights to our child?
No. pursuant to the Equality for Every Family Act, intended parent(s) who fully comply with the law will be the legal parents immediately at the time of birth.
Do I need to come to your office?
We are able to meet clients by zoom and teleconference, saving you the time and expense of traveling to our office.
Gestational Surrogates and Gamete Donors
Why do I need an attorney?
While gamete donation and surrogacy journeys are deeply personal, they are also complex legal processes governed by specific statutes and caselaw. You are entitled to an independent and separate attorney. Engaging an experienced attorney is essential to protect your rights.
What is the purpose of the legal contract?
Every journey is unique. We create detailed agreements that define intent, expectations, financial responsibilities, and potential "what-if" scenarios so both you and the intended parent(s) are on the same page before any medical treatment begins.
Are the laws the same in every state?
No. Laws regarding assisted reproduction vary significantly by state. It is critical to ensure your arrangement complies with Illinois law.
Is Illinois a friendly state for gestational surrogacy and gamete donation?
Yes. Illinois has long been recognized as one of the most surrogacy and gamete donation friendly states in the country, and with the most recent changes to the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act and Equality for Every Family Act the legislature has reaffirmed its commitment to ethical and accessible family-building arrangements.
Will the gestational surrogate have any legal rights to our child?
No. pursuant to the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act, intended parent(s) who fully comply with the law will be the legal parents immediately at the time of birth.
Who will pay my legal fee?
Intended parent(s) will pay your legal fees.
Do I need to come to your office?
We are able to meet clients by zoom and teleconference, saving you the time and expense of traveling to our office.
Parentage Proceedings/Confirmatory Adoption
How do our names get placed on our child’s birth certificate?
Illinois has an administrative process for gestational surrogacy arrangements that allow the intended parent(s) names to be placed on the original birth certificate prior to birth without any court involvement. This is possible only if there is strict compliance with Illinois law.
What is a confirmatory adoption and why might we need one?
A confirmatory adoption is a streamlined process to confirm a parent's existing legal relationship to a child that results in a court order. Although for practical purposes a birth certificate should be sufficient to demonstrate legal parentage to the child a birth certificate does not carry the same legal weight as a judgment issued by a court of law. The consensus among LGBTQ+ legal experts is that parents should not rely solely on a birth certificate, which is an administrative document, but should instead secure their parental rights through a court order. Orders issued by any court in the United States are ‘portable’, meaning they should be recognized by other states pursuant to the Full Faith & Credit Clause of the United States Constitution, and under international treaties, in many countries around the world.
Is it possible to obtain a court order of parentage instead of a confirmatory adoption?
Yes. Illinois also has a streamlined process to obtain an order of parentage both pre-birth and post-birth. International clients may require a judgment to return to their home country, and intended parent(s) who reside in the United States may be advised to seek a judgment to fully protect their parental rights to the child.
Do we need to appear in court in order to obtain a parentage order or confirmatory adoption?
If your arrangement complies with Illinois law, most of the time you will not need to appear in court.
Does the gestational surrogate or donor need to be a party to the court proceeding?
No. The gestational surrogate and/or gamete donor should not be a party to the proceeding and should not need to appear in court so long as the arrangement complies with Illinois law.
How long does the court process take?
Once we have all of the necessary documentation to file your case the court typically rules on these matters within a couple of week.