What is discussed in the first consultation?
The first consultation is a free phone or video meeting with no obligation to sign. It runs 45 to 60 minutes, and at Private Label Surrogacy (PLS) it is held with Nancy Block, RN, who runs matching herself.
The conversation covers four things:
- Your history. Your medical and family history, your fertility treatment so far, and why a gestational carrier is part of your plan.
- Your embryos. Whether you have frozen embryos, whether they are PGT-A tested, or whether you still need to create them, with or without an egg donor.
- Your criteria. What you want in a surrogate and in the relationship: her state, the number of embryos to transfer, your views on termination and selective reduction, vaccination, how often you want to communicate, and contact after birth.
- The PLS process, fees and timeline. Nancy gives you a realistic timeline based on your criteria. Today that is about 9 months from signing to meeting a surrogate, with a target of 6 or fewer, and 18 to 24 months for the whole journey.
You leave the call knowing what PLS would do for you, what it costs and how long it is likely to take. For the full sequence after signing, see how the surrogacy process works.
What should you bring or know before the call?
You do not need documents. It helps to know:
- The name of your fertility clinic, or whether you need one.
- How many embryos you have, their grades, and whether they were tested.
- Whether you need an egg donor or sperm donor.
- Your rough budget. Intended parents typically budget $150,000 to $210,000 all in, including clinic fees and insurance.
- Where you live, and whether you are an international parent.
- Your first views on transfer number, termination and vaccination. If you are a couple, talk these through together first.
Bring your questions too. Ask who will run your match, who holds your money, and what happens if a transfer fails.
What is the Intended Parent Questionnaire?
The Intended Parent Questionnaire is the written version of the consultation. It records your background, your clinic and embryo status, and your answers to the questions that drive matching. PLS uses it to build your profile, which the surrogate reads before she agrees to meet you, and to search for a surrogate whose answers align with yours.
Answer it carefully. Agreement on the hard decisions, such as termination, selective reduction and how many embryos to transfer, cannot be negotiated later. PLS matches on those values before logistics. See how matching is defined.
What does the agency agreement cover and should an attorney read it?
The agency agreement is the contract between you and PLS. It sets out what PLS does, what you pay and when, and what happens if a match does not proceed. It also records that PLS does not hold your money: you fund an independent licensed escrow agent, and you may choose your own escrow company. It defines Dr. Silverberg's records review as review by a board-certified physician.
Yes, have your own attorney read it. This is separate from the gestational carrier agreement with your surrogate, which comes after match and is negotiated by two independent attorneys. PLS does not employ attorneys, so any attorney you choose works for you.
What do you pay at signing and where does the money go?
At signing you pay the first installment of the PLS program fee. The program fee is $47,500. It is paid $22,500 at signing, $20,000 at surrogate acceptance and $5,000 at medical clearance.
The program fee goes to PLS for its work: surrogate recruitment and screening, matching, coordination and case management through birth. The details are on what the program fee covers.
Nothing else is due at signing. Surrogate compensation and third-party costs go through escrow later: $10,000 at match and the balance before medications start. See how independent escrow works.
| Item | Who completes it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Intended Parent Questionnaire | You | Before or at signing |
| Agency agreement | You, reviewed by your attorney, and PLS | At signing |
| First program fee installment | You | At signing |
| Clinic records release | You | At signing |
| Criteria sheet | You, confirmed with Nancy Block | Within the first 30 days |
What happens in the 30 days after signing?
In the first 30 days, PLS:
- Confirms your criteria in writing with you.
- Contacts your clinic about your embryos and its requirements for a gestational carrier.
- Begins searching for a surrogate whose criteria match yours.
No surrogate profile is shared before signing, because screened surrogates are introduced only to committed parents. Matching then averages about 6 months. If you still need embryos, many parents create them during this period.
Sources
- SEEDS, Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, of which Nancy Block, RN, is a former President.
- ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine). https://www.asrm.org