When Do I Pay and How Much?
GSHC Surrogacy Agency’s fee structure is an easy, manageable timeline of payment dates and totals throughout the surrogacy journey. We don’t collect any money until you have met your surrogate and you both agree to move forward together.
Much of the money paid through surrogacy goes directly to the surrogate carrying the child. Because of this, GSHC Surrogacy Agency only collects fees directly at the start of a journey. The remaining funds are deposited into an escrow account that is established during the legal phase early in the process. Our agency will connect you with licensed attorneys to establish and maintain your escrow, from which authorized payments will be sent out to cover your surrogate’s costs while she is pregnant.
What’s the first thing I’ll pay?
Once we match you with a surrogate and you both agree to move forward, we will send you our Client Retainer Agreement to sign as well as a deposit invoice for $5,000.00. This invoice will contain wire transfer instructions and the funds will be used to cover the costs of getting your surrogate cleared medically, assed psychologically, submitted for a background check, and set up with their own surrogacy attorney to draft and review their own Agreement. If an insurance evaluation is required to enroll the surrogate in a viable medical insurance plan for the surrogacy journey, the costs of this evaluation will also come from this deposit.
Once all assessments have been completed and your surrogate is officially cleared to move forward, any remaining funds from the deposit will be deposited into the newly-established escrow account.
What do I pay next?
Once your surrogate is fully cleared to begin the surrogacy journey, we will send you the agency fee invoice. Our agency fee for domestic surrogacy cases is $28,000.00 and for international surrogacy cases, it is $35,000.00. The agency fee can be paid via wire transfer, the same as the deposit.
How do I fund the escrow account?
GSHC Surrogacy Agency will get you established with your own legal representation for the journey. Your attorney will walk you through the escrow process and instruct you on how to make payments into the account and how to authorize payments from the account. At the time of notarization of the Gestational Services Agreement, an opening payment of $50,000.00 is due to the escrow account. This amount will cover the majority of the surrogacy costs along the way including surrogate compensation, medical insurance premiums/deductibles/co-payments, surrogate life insurance, and legal fees.
The final payment into the escrow account will occur upon the completion of the twelfth week of pregnancy. This amount is not fixed and will total the remainder of the costs due to the surrogate, based upon her specific compensation package.
The escrow account must maintain a minimum balance of $10,000.00 at all times to cover clinic costs, medications, and any other potentially time-sensitive expense related to the surrogacy journey.
Conclusion
GSHC Surrogacy Agency keeps introductory costs low. Our reasonable deposit is due after you’ve met the perfect surrogate for you. And all remaining deposit funds are returned to your escrow account to be used for the remainder of the pregnancy. We also stagger our payment amounts using clear milestones so you know what is expected to be paid and when. We value full transparency to guarantee a successful journey, relationship, and bond between you and your surrogate.
To begin your journey as an intended parent with GSHC Surrogacy Agency, please complete our Intended Parent Intake Form.