Here in Illinois, our state legislature tries to keep up with the times, making changes to laws to better reflect current trends and situations. Take for example changes to the area of family law, which have given Illinoisians options to marry a spouse of the same sex and access to parental rights even if a child is not biologically related to one or both parents.

As you can imagine or may know personally, many changes to our laws go unnoticed by a majority of residents, meaning a large number of Illinoisians are unaware of their rights when it comes to family law matters. One area of family law where this can create the most problems is with surrogacy.

As you probably know, surrogacy situations can vary depending on the needs of the parties involved. While one surrogacy may involve a married couple and a surrogate who wants to waive her parental rights, the same may not be true for the next surrogacy situation. It’s because of this fact that legal representation is not only encouraged, it may be a necessity.

Prior to entering into a surrogacy agreement, a lawyer can make sure that you not only understand your rights but are taking the steps allowed by Illinois law. A lawyer can review a surrogacy agreement and point out any potential mistakes that could lead to complex legal situations down the road. If necessary, an attorney can also act as an advocate in situations where you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next.

Because the presence of a lawyer can greatly decrease stress and the likelihood of legal mistakes, most people are happy they made the call and obtained legal counsel. A worthwhile expense, many say, to protect your rights.