Practice Area

Assisted Reproductive Technology Law

Protecting intended parents, donors, and gestational carriers through every step of building a family with ART.

35+

Years guiding ART families

100%

Pre-birth orders pursued

AAAA

Academy Fellow

Global

International coordination

Overview

How we help families like yours

Assisted reproductive technology is one of the most personal — and legally intricate — paths to parenthood. We draft and negotiate the contracts, secure the pre-birth and post-birth orders, and ensure every party's rights are clearly defined before the journey begins.

Harold (Hal) Atencio

Lead attorney

Hal Atencio →

What we handle

Areas of representation

Tap any service to see how we approach it.

Includes

  • ›Compensation, expenses, and escrow
  • ›Medical decision-making and selective reduction
  • ›Insurance review and life-insurance requirements
  • ›Carrier's spouse acknowledgment

Includes

  • ›Disclaimer of parental rights
  • ›Future medical-information protocols
  • ›Known-donor contact agreements

Includes

  • ›Pre-birth parentage petitions
  • ›Hospital and birth-certificate coordination
  • ›Post-birth confirmation orders if needed

Includes

  • ›Disposition agreements between partners
  • ›Donation to research or other families
  • ›Estate-planning integration

Includes

  • ›Choice-of-law analysis
  • ›International citizenship and travel documents
  • ›Coordination with foreign counsel

Includes

  • ›Co-parenting and known-donor agreements
  • ›Confirmatory adoption when recommended
  • ›Second-parent adoption coordination

Our process

How we work with you

  1. 01

    Roadmap Consultation

    60 minutes

    We map the legal milestones — contract, escrow, medical clearance, court order — so you know what to expect.

  2. 02

    Contract Drafting

    3–6 weeks

    We draft and negotiate the agreement with independent counsel for the carrier or donor.

  3. 03

    Court Order

    2nd trimester

    We file for pre-birth (or post-birth) parentage so the intended parents are on the birth certificate.

  4. 04

    Birth & Beyond

    Ongoing

    We finalize parentage at birth and remain available for any post-birth filings or amended orders.

Come prepared

What to bring to your consultation

Don't have everything? Come anyway. This is just to make the most of our time.

  • ✓Fertility clinic and agency contact info
  • ✓Any draft contract or term sheet
  • ✓Insurance information for all parties
  • ✓Estimated transfer and due-date timeline
  • ✓List of intended parents and their roles

Client voice

"We were intended parents living overseas, and Hal made every legal piece fit together — contract, pre-birth order, passport. He gave us confidence at every step."

— International intended parents

Plain-language glossary

Key terms, demystified

Gestational Carrier
A person who carries a pregnancy for the intended parents using an embryo not genetically related to her.
Pre-Birth Order
A court order issued before delivery confirming the intended parents' legal parentage so they appear on the birth certificate.
Known vs. Anonymous Donor
Whether the egg or sperm donor's identity is disclosed and whether contact is contemplated; each pathway has distinct legal consequences.
Escrow
A neutral account that holds and disburses funds for carrier compensation and medical expenses under the agreement.

Frequently asked

Questions families ask us

Explore other practice areas

Family Law

Compassionate, experienced representation in divorce, custody, and every chapter of family change.

Learn more →

Adoption & Foster Parent Rights

From the first phone call to the day your family becomes whole — guided by 35+ years of dedicated adoption practice.

Learn more →