LGBTQ Families

LGBTQ Families in Florida

Same Sex Surrogacy Under Florida Law

Marla is proud to represent same sex couples and individuals to guide them through the surrogacy process. She is dedicated in supporting leading same sex organizations which support same sex family building, such as Men Having Babies.

Adoption has been an option in Florida for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (LGBTQ) community since 2010, however, with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART), the LGBTQ individuals can utilize ART to build a family with a genetic connection and place both parents on the child’s birth certificate. In Florida, the laws do not prohibit same sex couples or LGBTQ singles from using a surrogate or donated egg, sperm or embryos.

"Marla really made us feel comfortable and at home with her. Being a gay couple going through surrogacy and adoption was unbelievably stressful. It was nice to know that she was right there to 'hold our hand' through the adoption phase of the process.  When we walked into the courtroom, she really put us at ease.  Highly recommend working with Marla!" Sean, 2017

How does the recognition of same sex marriage in Florida impact same sex spouses’ use of a surrogate?

When using a Florida surrogate, prior to marriage equality in Florida, there were additional steps required for same sex spouses to ensure parental rights for the biological and non-biological parent. 

Following Florida’s recognition of same sex marriage in January 2015, same sex married couples can utilize Florida’s expedited and simplified process of affirming both parents as the legal parent of the child (child or children) born via a surrogate under Florida gestational surrogacy statute (Chapter 742). Florida’s surrogacy statute has specific requirements stating that the commissioning couple is required to enter into a detailed contract with the surrogate and her spouse/partner prior to any fertility treatments occurring. The surrogate and the commissioning couple must be at least 18 years old and the commissioning couple needs to be legally married and their embryo must be genetically related to at least one member of the commissioning couple.

Once the child via a surrogate is born, Florida’s surrogacy friendly procedures permit the commissioning couple, within 3 days after the birth of the child, to petition the court for a birth certificate with their names as the biological parents. This procedure eliminates the quandary in many states where in order to have the same sex parents’ names placed on the birth certificate, they are forced to adopt their own biological child. All hearings for surrogacy are in closed court and all papers and records are confidential.

How do LGBTQ singles use a surrogate in Florida?

Since surrogacy agreements under Florida’s surrogate statute (which allow for automatic parental rights for both parties in the commissioning couple) are currently limited to legally married couples, LGBTQ singles looking to use a surrogate cannot use Florida’s surrogacy statute but can proceed under Florida’s adoption laws by entering into a Pre-Planned Adoption Agreement. 

After selecting a surrogate, the single intended parent enters into a Pre-Planned Adoption Agreement with the surrogate and her spouse/partner (if any). This is an agreement by which a surrogate agrees to bear a child and relinquish parental rights to the intended parent. Florida law has mandatory requirements of what must be included in this type of agreement in order to effectively terminate the surrogate’s parental rights. Following the birth of the child, the intended parent files a petition which terminates the parental rights of the surrogate and names the single parent as the legal parent of the child. The surrogate is unable to revoke her consent to terminate her parental rights to the child absent the child being her own genetic child and not that of the intended parent.

How do same sex, unmarried couples use a surrogate in Florida?

Since surrogacy agreements under Florida’s surrogate statute (which allow for automatic parental rights for both parties in the commissioning couple) are currently limited to legally married couples, same sex, unmarried couples looking to use a surrogate cannot use Florida’s surrogacy statute but must proceed under Florida’s adoption laws by entering into a Pre-Planned Adoption Agreement (referenced and additional information above).

Can a stepparent in a same sex marriage file a stepparent adoption of the spouse’s child?

In Florida, a stepparent adoption, previously limited to heterosexual, married couples, is a court proceeding allowing a stepparent to adopt his/her spouse’s child. A stepparent in a same sex, married couple, can adopt his/her spouse’s child through a stepparent adoption to become the legal parent of the child and place both parents’ on the child’s birth certificate. 

Can same sex spouses adopt a child jointly?

Yes. Because Florida recognizes same sex marriage, as long as a same sex couple is legally married, they can jointly adopt a child and have both parents’ placed on the child’s birth certificate.

Can a same sex partner donate an egg or sperm to their partner, retain parental rights, and not be viewed as a donor?

In late 2013, the Florida Supreme Court held that the Florida egg, sperm and embryo donation statute (Florida Statute 742.14) was unconstitutional in part as to the definition of "commissioning couples" as it only allowed legally married, heterosexual couples to retain parental rights to a child born resulting from donated genetic material from one party to the other. The case involved a lesbian couple where one woman donated her egg (“biological mother”) to her partner (“birth mother”) to carry the child. Years after the birth of the child, the birth mother refused to give the biological mother parental rights and asserted the biological mother was only a donor of the egg with no parental rights.

Under Florida’s donation statute, since they were not a legally married couple, when the biological mother donated her egg, she was viewed as a donor and did not retain rights to the resulting child. The case was argued to the Florida Supreme Court who determined that the donor statute was unconstitutional because it denied the biological mother the right to raise her child. The Florida Supreme Court held that, “we conclude that the state would be hard pressed to find a reason why a child would not be better off having two loving parents in her life, regardless of whether those parents are of the same sex, than she would by having only one parent.”

This is encouraging news for same-sex couples wishing to utilize assisted reproductive technology to start families in Florida; they are no longer deemed just donors of genetic material if their intent is to retain parental rights to the resulting child. Regardless of the statute, a legal contract setting forth the parties intentions is strongly recommended when dealing with any reproductive technology law issues.

Will a sperm donor have parental rights in a “do it yourself” artificial insemination under Florida law?

Florida’s egg, sperm, and embryo donation statute (Florida Statute 742.14) provides that the donor of egg, sperm, or embryos has no parental rights to the resulting child (unless it is between a commissioning couple or a pre-planned adoption agreement is in place) when using assisted reproductive technology. Florida law defines “assisted reproductive technology”, in part, as procreative procedures which involve the “laboratory handling of human eggs or pre-embryos”.

‍A 2002 Florida case found that a woman who wanted to get pregnant in the “usual and customary manner” with a friend for the use of his sperm could not relieve the man, who provided his sperm, of his parental rights despite an agreement providing otherwise that he was just a sperm donor because the child was created in the “usual and customary way”. The statute did not contemplate impregnation of woman with donated sperm by means of sex. In contrast, a 2013 Florida case involved a “do it yourself” artificial insemination using the biological mother’s egg by her same sex partner’s brother’s sperm.

The court found the man, who donated his sperm, could be deemed a donor with no parental rights because although the procedure was not done in a laboratory, the court held “the statute does not require that the artificial insemination be performed in a clinical setting”. Regardless of the method of conception, it is imperative to consult with an attorney and have the proper contracts in place to specify the parties’ intentions regarding parental rights and the status of the donor of egg or sperm.

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