Ellen:
I just wanted to send you a special "Thank You". I received our son's Social Security Card Saturday and then I received his Birth Certificate yesterday. Seeing that just made everything feel "complete".
With you, everything went very smoothly and for that I am very grateful...so again, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!
Tammy 11/5/09
When I agreed to be a gestational surrogate for my intended parents I met online, I didn’t know where to turn first. Neither did they. Ellen helped us navigate the process by drafting a contract we could all understand. She helped me with several referrals to an attorney to review the contract with me since she represented the Intended Parents who lived in Ohio. She worked with my attorney to be sure that the birth order was handled in a professional way. Ellen was able to uncomplicate the process which went off without any surprises. The birth certificate was created just as we had planned. My surro-son is now three years old and I will be working with the same Intended Parents again soon. Ellen will be representing them a second time.
R.F. 2005
In working with an agency out of the state, I was matched with Intended Parents in Massachusetts. I wanted to be sure that my name wasn’t on the birth certificate and neither was my husbands. Ellen took care of all of the legal work to be sure I was protected. The Intended Parents and I went to Court (I’m told many Court’s don’t require a hearing but the Court in my county did) and the Judge issued an order that our names not appear on the birth certificate. The Intended Parents took their child home from the hospital, stopping briefly at the office of Vital Statistics to pick up their child’s birth certificate. They were thrilled!
L.M. 2007
Ellen was our “event planner”. She saw to every detail of our surrogacy. She drafted a contract based on the terms we had all agreed on. The contract was clear and concise. She helped us decide which state law, ours or that of our surrogates, would best help us achieve our goals. She also helped identify local counsel who could represent us in securing our birth order so that our names could be placed on our child’s birth certificate. Having Ellen there, speaking the right words to other lawyers and the Courts made things much more comfortable for us. Our twins were born February 1998 and we now have the family we always wanted.
E.G. 1999
Ellen Essig was great to work with! She is a recognized expert in the field of surrogacy law and yet was careful to make sure we understood everything she was doing. She returned my phone calls promptly and did what she said she was going to do when she said she was going to do it. I would definitely use her services again and I recommend them to anyone looking for support in this process.
M.R. 2003
As a gay man, I wasn’t sure how to go about becoming a father. I was also uncertain about the rights of my partner who joined me in this project. We were anxious to become a family and welcome a child together. Once we had identified a surrogate, Ellen drafted a contract protecting our rights in the state in which our child would be born. I was able to be placed on the birth certificate right away. We then went home and did a second parent adoption. Because Ohio permits this, we were able to have my partner’s name added to the birth certificate, though he is listed as “Mother”. It is not perfect, but we were pleased to have both of our legal rights recognized in this way. We are ready to welcome a second child into our family in the near future. This child will be born in a state where both I and my partner can be placed on the birth certificate immediately.
F.R. 2008
As a specialist in family law for over 22 years, I have focused my practice on surrogacy and other Assisted Reproduction in ART Technology-related law since 1993. Over that time, it has been incredible to watch the technology improve, as hopeful parents realize their dream of starting a family. Contact me online or call my Cincinnati law office toll-free 1-866-427-4859 today for more information about surrogacy and Assisted Reproductive Technologies.
