Jennifer P. Maas
Helping to Create, Expand & Protect Families
There are many ways to build a family. For those who generously give of themselves through egg, sperm or embryo donation or for intended parents and surrogates embarking on a surrogacy journey, as well as for those who seek to build their families through adoption or wish to secure their parental rights through a Judgment of Parentage, the Law Office of Jennifer P. Maas, PLLC is here to help and advocate for you in New York with the promise of personal attention and compassionate representation.
Services
For those who depend on egg and embryo donation to help expand or create their families as well as for those who are Donors, the protection of a well-conceived donation agreement is a crucial aspect of the donation process. We can work on your behalf in reviewing agency consent forms and in drafting or reviewing agreements to ensure that they address various necessary aspects such as donative intent, parentage, party responsibilities, compensation, future obligations and other important provisions.
Whether an Intended Parent on your journey to expand your family, or a Gestational Surrogate giving of yourself to help others achieve their dreams, there is nothing more important than knowing your legal rights are well-protected and that you have a lawyer on your side who genuinely cares about your outcome and will give you the personal attention required. Let me be your guide through the legal process by drafting and negotiating a surrogacy agreement that clearly sets forth the intentions and expectations of all parties, and anticipates many of the complex issues that could arise, so that you can rest easier.
As an Intended Parent myself, I know personally the importance of having your legal parentage confirmed as soon as possible—whether you are a non-gestating LGBTQ partner, or whether your family was created through engaging in surrogacy. Every moment matters. Your legal rights should be secured in a way that even a birth certificate alone cannot do. I will work tirelessly to make the process of obtaining a Judgment of Parentage as smooth and efficient as possible for Intended Parents (pre-birth, if eligible).
Once you've completed your family building, you may have remaining frozen embryos and be faced with a decision about how they should or should not be used, especially in the event of death, divorce or uncoupling. Or you may have created embryos as a couple, but plans have changed and you no longer intend to parent together. Under New York law you can draft a legal agreement which clearly states your intent, and can even be a mechanism for transferring rights and obligations as to the embryos and resulting children to just one of the creators, so their pursuit of family formation can continue. Contact us to draft an agreement reflecting your intent.
Where your family formation path involves a sperm donor who is known to you, it's important that intentions are clear from the start so there are no misunderstandings or confusion when it comes to parental rights, roles and obligations. A donation agreement can easily memorialize donative intent and can ease the process should you or a partner be in the position of seeking a Judgment of Parentage later. Our firm can work with you to quickly and easily create an agreement between the parties to help you avoid legal uncertainties down the road.
Adoption creates a legal bond for families, which then ensures that parental rights are secure no matter where you live or travel, and regardless of your gender, orientation or marital status. We can help you through the court process under New York law to establish your legal bond to your spouse's or partner's child through a step-parent or second-parent adoption, in situations where a Judgment of Parentage cannot otherwise be obtained, so you can rest easier knowing you have a strong legal connection to the ones you love.
Family building for the LGBTQ+ community often takes blood, sweat, tears, a whole lot of planning and yes, lawyers. We proudly help our lesbian clients and others by drafting Sperm Donation Agreements, obtaining Judgments of Parentage in court, and securing Orders of Second or Step Parent Adoption. For gay intended parents and others, we draft Egg Donation Agreements, and provide legal representation during Surrogacy, Parentage and Adoption processes. We are devoted to helping secure LGBTQ+ families beyond reliance on just a birth certificate, so non-gestational parents have equal parental recognition under the law. Contact us to learn why this is so important and how we can help!
