Surrogacy – Ten Lessons I Have Learnt Since 1988
Our director and award-winning surrogacy lawyer, Stephen Page, presented a paper titled “Surrogacy – Ten Lessons I Have Learnt Since 1988” at the 2024 North Queensland Law Association Conference in Townsville. Here’s the paper:
I am a dad through surrogacy. My daughter Elizabeth, born to my husband Mitchell and me, is almost 5 years old. She was born through surrogacy and egg donation in Brisbane with the court process in the Childrens Court in Brisbane. We are one of the lucky ones. Most intended parents from Queensland who undertake surrogacy do so overseas.
My first surrogacy case was in 1988. Since then, I have advised in over 1,900 surrogacy journeys for clients throughout Australia and 37 countries overseas.
In addition to my own journey in surrogacy, and acting for clients, I have been a member of a number of committees to do with surrogacy.2 Between 2012 and 2016 I was the principal advocate for and co-author of a policy by the American Bar Association as to a proposed Hague
Convention on international surrogacy arrangements.
For five years between 2017 and 2022 I lectured in Ethics and the Law in Reproductive Medicine, as part of the Masters of Reproductive Medicine at the University of New South Wales.
I have written numerous articles and given presentations around the world, three chapters3 and a couple of books (one of which is awaiting publication) about surrogacy. I have lived and breathed this subject for more years than I care to count. I have been interviewed in innumerable media interviews, for media organisations across Australia and overseas, including The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
I have also suffered from infertility. I want to share with you 10 things I have learnt about surrogacy.
