If you are a hopeful intended parent or a prospective surrogate considering surrogacy, you might be curious about surrogacy agencies in Texas. As one of the surrogacy-friendly states, Texas has laws that support and protect both surrogates and intended parents throughout the surrogacy journey.

Contact us to learn more about surrogacy today. We’re happy to connect you with some of the best surrogacy professionals who can give you a free consultation.

In this article, we will explore surrogacy in Texas, legal requirements, and the benefits of starting your surrogacy journey in Texas.

What is Surrogacy in Texas?

Surrogacy in Texas includes a couple or single person (the intended parents), a gestational carrier (surrogate), and experienced surrogacy professionals.

• Surrogate:  The surrogate carries and delivers the baby for the intended parents. The surrogate is a gestational carrier, which means she isn’t related to the baby. Gestational surrogates become pregnant through IVF. A fertility doctor creates the embryo that’s implanted into the surrogate’s uterus with the intended parents’ or donor/s’ gametes.
• Intended Parents: Intended parents (or a single intended parent) are the baby’s parents. The parent/s will assume parental rights at the end of the surrogacy journey.
• Surrogacy Professionals: Every surrogacy journey includes a handful of surrogacy professionals. You can expect to work with a surrogacy attorney, an agency surrogacy professional, a fertility clinic, an OB/GYN, and more.

Working With Surrogacy Agencies in Texas

Surrogacy agencies in Texas provide surrogates and intended parents with a surrogacy professional that provides many essential surrogacy services. The following are some of the benefits agencies offer their clients:

• Screening services
• Matching services
• 24/7 counseling
• Case management
• Referrals to local fertility clinics
• Legal representation

Although you could pursue an independent surrogacy, partnering with an agency offers a range of services to support you every step of the way, from beginning to end. With an agency, you can have peace of mind knowing that your surrogacy experience is being handled by compassionate and experienced specialists.

Some of the best surrogacy agencies in Texas include:

• American Surrogacy
• Newborn Advantage
• Prime Genetics
• Surrogacy Agency Texas
• Shared Conception
• 3 Sisters Surrogacy
• Simple Surrogacy

Finding a Surrogacy Partner in Texas

All surrogacy agencies in Texas can help you find the perfect surrogacy match for your journey.

Generally, agencies that have shorter wait times are best for surrogates and intended parents. For example, American Surrogacy has an average match time of 30 to 90 days. The agency can maintain these times by:

• Prescreening: This ensures that every intended parent and surrogate is physically, mentally, and medically ready to start the surrogacy process.
• In-House Marketing: This helps intended parents and surrogates create profiles to attract the right match.
• Ratio: The agency doesn’t overload its waiting families list and has a 1:1 intended parent-to-surrogate ratio.

How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid in Texas?

Typically, first-time surrogates earn anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000 in surrogate base compensation for their time and services. And people who have served as surrogates before can earn up to $75,000 at surrogacy agencies in Texas like American Surrogacy.

How Much is Surrogacy in Texas?

It’s common to wonder how much it is to work with a surrogate in Texas. Generally, the cost of surrogacy in Texas for hopeful intended parents is anywhere from $120,000 to $250,000.

Intended parents can get the most out of their surrogacy journeys when they work with an agency that offers a fixed-fee structure.

For example, American Surrogacy offers a transparent cost of $149,900. Thiscovers agency:

• Surrogacy services
• Gestational carrier fees
• Medical costs
• Legal expenses

The agency also offers the following:

• A Parent Protection Fee that covers variable surrogacy costs.
• A surrogacy specialist who will organize your journey’s variable fees (IVF fees, newborn expenses, intended parent travel, surrogate breast milk, outside counsel, varied surrogate experience and location, and additional surrogate mother insurance).

Is Surrogacy Legal in Texas?

Yes. Gestational surrogacy laws in Texas a favorable to the family-building option.

According to Surrogate.com, “Texas primarily requires that the gestational surrogacy contract be judicially approved prior to the start of the surrogacy process.”

When your surrogacy attorney creates your contract, they will ensure the following happens during your surrogacy journey:

• That the surrogate receives scheduled, fair compensation
• That the intended parents can become their child’s legal guardian
• That everyone’s legal rights and personal needs are protected
• And more

What are the Steps for a Surrogacy in Texas?

Being a surrogate in Texas and becoming hopeful intended parents in the state is possible when you work with an agency.

When intended parents or surrogates in Texas reach out to a surrogacy agency, they can expect to go through the following steps:

• Step 1: Undergo surrogacy screenings
• Step 2: Match with a surrogate partner

• Step 3: Create a surrogacy contract
• Step 4: Start the surrogacy medical process
• Step 5: Complete the surrogacy journey

Next Steps Toward Surrogacy in Texas