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ALL PARTIES AGREE THE TWO SURROGACY AGREEMENTS ARE UNENFORCEABLE; MATTER REMITTED FOR A HEARING TO DETERMINE PARENTAGE BASED ON THE INTENT OF THE PARTIES AND THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing (modifying) Family Court, determined that both surrogacy agreements were unenforceable and the parentage determination should not have been made without a hearing on the intent of the parties and the best interests of the children:

… [T]here is no real dispute that neither surrogacy agreement meets the material requirements of Family Court Act article 5-C. The original surrogacy agreement is unenforceable because it was not signed by Robert (see Family Ct Act § 581-403 [a] [1]; [d]; see also § 581-402 [b] [3]). The second agreement is unenforceable because it was not executed prior to “the commencement of medical procedures in furtherance of embryo transfer” (§ 581-403 [b]). Thus, the court was required to determine parentage “based on the intent of the parties, taking into account the best interests of the child[ren]” (§ 581-407).

… [A]ll three parties to the second surrogacy agreement—Mary, Robert and the Surrogate—agree that their intent was for Mary and Robert to be the children’s parents, and none of them contemplated anyone else becoming a parent. … [O]n this record the court failed to give due consideration to the best interests of the children as required by the statute (see Family Ct Act § 581-407; see also § 581-701 …). We therefore reverse the … judgment of parentage, and we remit the matter to Family Court to hold an immediate hearing at which the court, in making its parentage determination, must consider evidence of the intent of the parties, taking into account evidence pertaining to the best interests of the children. Matter of Baby A. (Mary B.L.–Robert A.L.), 2026 NY Slip Op 02759, Fourth Dept 5-1-26

Practice Point: Consult this decision for insight into how a court should handle determining parentage where the surrogacy agreements are unenforceable.

 

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