This book, Gestational Surrogacy: The Definitive Guide, by Victoria Ferrara is the first book of its kind in that it is a comprehensive resource that will assist intended parents and surrogates navigate every single step of the complex journey to have children through surrogacy. The desire to have children is deeply rooted in love, and it is fundamental in the lives of many. But conceiving and bearing children is not always easy and many people must persevere to make their families. Ferrara wants her readers to have the benefit of her years of experience as a lawyer handling all facets of gestational surrogacy. As the owner and founder of Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists, Ferrara and her team have assisted countless intended parents, and supported countless surrogates to come together and bring wanted, cherished and loved babies into the world.
The statistics alone show the need for this book. One in five women are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying. Women and men who suffer from infertility or illness that have impaired their fertility have the amazing opportunity to have their children through surrogacy. LGBTQ+ individuals and couples are having children in record numbers through assisted reproduction including surrogacy. All of these intended parents deserve the knowledge, in-depth information, expertise, guidance, and thought leadership that Ferrara brings forth in this book. As an internationally known lawyer in the world of gestational surrogacy, she is the perfect author for this definitive guide. She has given presentations at numerous conferences in the United States and throughout the world on gestational surrogacy including infertility conferences, gay parenting seminars, medical schools, and other universities, as well as in professional settings for lawyers and physicians. One of her greatest achievements is the landmark legal decision of Raftopol v. Ramey, a Supreme Court case that created a new way to establish legal parentage in Connecticut. The case determined that an Intended Parent was granted rights to a child via a valid gestational agreement regardless of genetic connection to the child to be born to the gestational surrogate. She was awarded the Lambda Legal Award/Honor and State of CT Proclamation for a dedicated and committed career to Equality in 2016, and the Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project President's Award in 2017. She is a member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, the Family Law Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Bar Association, ASRM, and the American Bar Association.
As a lawyer, and as the Founder & Legal Director of Worldwide Surrogacy, Ferrara leads with a passion for law and the family formation process. She brings over 35 years of experience practicing assisted reproductive technology law to help people make their dreams of family come true-just as hers have. She and her spouse, Dr. Michelle Loris, have two sons, Sal and Nick.