A campaign to reform the United Kingdom's surrogacy laws, initiated by Adam Frisby, will be debated in Parliament in early September. Frisby, a former founder of the online fashion retailer In The Style, launched the petition after experiencing the legal complexities of becoming a parent through surrogacy in the United States.
Frisby and his fiancé Jamie Corbett welcomed their daughter, Leven Rose, via surrogacy in America, where both parents are legally recognized from birth. However, upon returning to the UK, they discovered that British law does not automatically grant them legal parentage. Under current UK legislation, the surrogate mother is recognized as the legal parent, and if she is married, her spouse is recorded as the legal father, regardless of biological ties or intent to parent.
"No parent should have to spend months waiting to become their own child’s legal parent simply because of the way their child was born," Frisby stated in comments to the Daily Mail. He emphasized that the goal of his campaign is to ensure that no other family endures the prolonged and emotionally taxing process they faced.
The petition, launched in April, rapidly gained traction, reaching over 100,000 signatures within 48 hours and accumulating 112,259 signatures as of the report. Frisby expressed his surprise and gratitude for the public's support, noting that the response exceeded his initial expectations.
The process for intended parents to become legal guardians in the UK through surrogacy is described as lengthy. Frisby explained that in his region of Manchester, it can take up to a year to obtain a parental order, requiring approximately 180 pages of paperwork, social worker assessments, and court appearances. He finds the requirement to undergo assessments and court proceedings to be declared fit to parent unnecessary.
Frisby shared the emotional toll of the situation, recalling a conversation with their lawyer before Leven's birth where they were informed they could not make certain decisions for their daughter or automatically provide consent for medical treatment. This was devastating, he said, as Leven is their biological child whom they had wanted for years.
Despite the legal and emotional challenges, Frisby and Corbett are cherishing their experience as parents. Frisby noted that growing up, he feared he might not be able to have a family due to his sexual orientation, making the reality of having the family they dreamed of even more profound.
Frisby also indicated that they are considering expanding their family, though he acknowledged the significant costs and time involved in pursuing another surrogacy journey. He expressed a desire for their daughter to have a sibling, balancing this with the practical complexities.
"We hope it's the start of real progress," Frisby said. "If it means future families are legally recognised and protected from day one, then every difficult conversation we’ve had will have been worth it. Every child deserves legal security from birth, and every family created through surrogacy deserves to be treated equally and respectfully."