Surrogate mother meaning

In practice, a surrogate mother is a woman who, under a surrogacy arrangement made before she becomes pregnant (or before embryo transfer), carries a child with the intention that, after birth, the child will be handed over to the intended parent(s) who will assume parental responsibility/rights. Across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, this reflects statutory usage in the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985 and related provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. The surrogate is the legal mother at birth; legal parentage for intended parents is transferred post‑birth by a Parental Order (HFEA 2008, ss.54/54A), subject to the surrogate’s consent, domicile/habitual residence and child‑welfare requirements. Payments beyond reasonable expenses require court authorisation, and commercial surrogacy and most advertising/broking are restricted. In Scotland, references are to parental responsibilities and parental rights; substance is otherwise consistent. The term covers both gestational and traditional surrogacy. In Ireland, “surrogate mother” is a descriptive term rather than a settled statutory definition. The birth mother is treated as the legal mother at birth. Intended parents typically secure status through court orders (for example, a declaration of parentage for a genetic father and subsequent guardianship/custody or adoption), pending dedicated surrogacy legislation.