Search by the «healthcare surrogacy» tag

These are great questions, Alison, and I look forward to input from others. In my previous role as a public guardian (appointed by the probate court in my state), I had very clear guidelines on decision-making, and while the healthcare proxy/surrogate role is slightly different, I feel the decision-making process is much the same. Where I do have some questions is on the question of how I would respond if there were a family member contesting my decisions. In my guardian role, I always educated and encouraged family members to take their concerns to the probate court, where the judge would issue a ruling on the legal appropriateness of my decision-making.

Can you give any examples of concerns about conflict of interest?

In a surrogacy situation, the court likely still has some ability to hear concerns and issue findings. Which court? That probably varies from state to state. Developing or obtaining a document that potential surrogacy clients complete AND review with both you and any involved (or potentially involved) family members is key. Reviewing that document after any significant health changes and with some regularity is essential.

I plan to consult with my attorney on this before moving forward with accepting any surrogacy cases in which there is the possibility of family dispute. Heck — even the most basic families disagree over these kinds of issues. I might only accept surrogacy clients who are truly solo agers!

Thanks for opening this conversation!