MICHELLE TANG
IMA ART FOUNDER
The surrogacy process is more complicated. IMA ART starts searching for surrogate candidates after there is a viable embryo. There are two trips for surrogacy and all steps are closely followed by IMA ART:
Surrogacy timeline
Your white-glove luxury surrogacy agency & concierge, 365 days per year.
Because pregnancy does not take weekends off.
High base compensation and benefits supporting your luxury surrogacy journey
When deciding to become a surrogate mother, you may experience a mix of excitement and nervousness. This is entirely natural, as it is a long-term, involved, and intimate commitment. But it is also one of the most profoundly rewarding and fulfilling gifts you can provide for couples and individuals unable to conceive on their own.
As a surrogate mother, you'll carry and deliver a baby, or twins, that you are not biologically related to. This is known as gestational surrogacy.
To ensure a deeply rewarding experience, we'll work to match you with parents you feel a real connection with, and who make you excited to help their dreams of having a child come true. Through your surrogate pregnancy, you’ll give a couple or individual the beautiful gift of building their own family. Apply to be a surrogate and work with the best boutique surrogacy agency in Los Angeles.
IMA ART’s comprehensive insurance coverage, protecting you and your family
Once matched, you'll receive world-class medical and psychological support from implantation through delivery. Throughout that time, you will be protected by our robust fertility governance policies and legal contracts which safeguard your privacy and rights.
Safeguarding
surrogates and their families…
Surrogacy aftercare and support
Most people believe the surrogacy journey ends upon delivery. And in most cases, they're right. But at IMA ART Fertility, your support doesn't end there. We understand that carrying a child as a surrogate is an incredibly personal and intimate experience, and your well-being is our top priority.
From prenatal care to postpartum care, our surrogacy compensation package is all-encompassing, making sure that you are well cared for.
Unlike most surrogacy programs, IMA ART Fertility provides you with access to a top-rated Clinical Psychologist to support your psychological well-being from the very beginning to the end and after delivery.
Luxury surrogacy timeline
While the surrogacy process can be complicated, we at IMA ART Fertility are here to help you every step of the way.
Your surrogacy journey can take anywhere from 12-20 months, but don't worry — you'll be supported with expert legal guidance, medical support, and insurance coverage to make your experience as comfortable and rewarding as possible.
The below timeline is an estimate — each surrogate journey is a little different and we will tailor ourselves to your needs.
Discover more about becoming a surrogate
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Surrogacy Lawyer
Your legal protection throughout your surrogacy journey
Surrogacy is a highly intimate and fulfilling experience. However, as a surrogate mother, navigating the complexities of surrogacy law can be challenging. That is why IMA ART grants you access to excellent attorneys who specialize in Surrogacy Law, Family Law and Fertility Law.
Your legal specialist will guide you through the legal aspects of your unique journey.
Our network of surrogacy attorneys are not only at the cutting edge of Assisted Reproductive Law and Family Formation (parental rights) Law in the United States, but they are also extensively versed in the structure of this unique area of law to offer you the utmost legal protection.
A surrogacy lawyer will help you navigate the landscape of surrogacy law
Helping a couple or individual in achieving their family building dreams goes beyond your beautiful gift of carrying their child to term. It involves our network of experienced surrogacy lawyers who work meticulously and walk hand in hand with our surrogates to ensure that you and your family are well taken care of and safeguarded.
At IMA ART Fertility, your legal rights and protection are of absolute importance. Our network of hand-picked legal experts have in-depth knowledge of the laws surrounding surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology and provide clarity and direction so you can focus on a healthy pregnancy and your own well-being.
How we ensure you are legally protected
To help avoid legal issues at any point in the surrogacy journey, IMA ART Fertility will only engage surrogate mothers who reside in states where commercial surrogacy is legally protected. Unfortunately, this currently excludes Louisiana, Michigan, and Nebraska. Although hopefully this will change as state laws regarding surrogacy become more and more supportive.
Also, IMA ART engages only potential surrogates who are U.S. citizens or certain Green Card holders.
For a smooth surrogacy experience, it’s important that state laws allow for full legal protections for surrogates and intended parents, automatic transfer of parental rights to the intended parents before the birth of the child, and legally enforceable Surrogacy Agreements. This is a major reason why Co-Founders Michelle Tang and Ron Sonnenberg decided to make luxurious Beverly Hills the home of IMA ART Fertility.
California is the best state in the US for surrogacy, and pre- and post-birth orders are legal and enforceable. There will be no question of legal parentage during pregnancy or upon the birth of the child.
Additionally, potential surrogates are admitted into our luxury surrogacy program only when they meet our requirements to be a surrogate as well as the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines. This helps ensure surrogate mothers are physically, mentally, and socially capable of becoming a surrogate mother. Included in your resources as a surrogate mother will be access to a complimentary Clinical Psychologist (PHD).
Read about our Clinical Psychology services.
If you’re selected as a surrogate, all expenses related to your surrogacy lawyer will be covered by the intended parents as part of your comprehensive compensation.
Read more about surrogate compensation.
Your lawyer will be your advocate while you and the intended parents determine the details of the Surrogacy Agreement and ensure the agreement is followed. They will be your counsel and confidant for legal advice throughout the surrogacy process.
Unfortunately, at some surrogacy agencies the health insurance company may place a lien on part or all of the surrogate mother’s compensation. This will never happen at IMA ART Fertility.
Couples and individuals come to us from all over the world when they cannot seek safe, legal, and reliable surrogacy in their home country. While you carry a child for excited and grateful parents, you will build a relationship with them as well as a professional attorney-client relationship with your lawyer, who will be there for you every step of the way.
Surrogacy Lawyer FAQ
Here are answers to some common questions about the legal aspects of the surrogacy journey, as well as some related questions. If your question isn’t answered here, see our main Surrogate FAQ and Parent FAQ, or please contact us.
What is a Surrogacy Agreement?
Surrogacy Agreements are legally enforceable contracts that explain the rights, obligations, and expectations of all parties involved before, during, and after gestational surrogacy or traditional surrogacy.
Your Surrogacy Agreement will include details of your compensation, expectations about your behavior while pregnant (nutrition, activities, travel), decisions regarding medical procedures, the intended parents’ level of involvement, establishment of a parentage order, insurance details for all parties involved, and resolutions regarding health risks, liabilities, etc.
After a Reproductive Law attorney drafts the Surrogacy Agreement based on the preferences of the surrogate and intended parents, you will be represented by an expert to ensure a smooth, stress-free journey with clear understanding among all parties of their roles and responsibilities.
This surrogacy contract states that even though you are the traditional or gestational surrogate, the parents are the legal parents for all purposes, and you will have no legal claim nor responsibilities for the child following delivery.
You will be given the opportunity to make requests in advance for things that you might need during the pregnancy and delivery. These will be negotiated between you and the intended parents and facilitated by the lawyers. The conditions agreed upon by both parties will be included in the Surrogacy Agreement before the implantation of the embryo.
As a luxury surrogacy agency dedicated to your comfort, safety, and satisfaction, IMA ART Fertility will be available to offer any assistance needed while you and the intended parents draft, question, and execute your agreement. When both parties are satisfied with the contract, your lawyer will guide you to sign the legal documents, which signifies your consent to the contract.
Am I guaranteed a base compensation?
At IMA ART Fertility, you are guaranteed to receive a base compensation, which is mutually agreed between you and the intended parents. Moreover, the entire base compensation is transferred to a escrow account upon signing of the surrogacy agreement.
We set the expectation for surrogate base compensation at up to $85,000. However, the total amount paid to you may reach $97,920, plus insurance and medical variables. The exact nature and amount of these will depend on the additional fees and expenses you are owed according to your Surrogacy Agreement. Read more about surrogate compensation.
Can I decide to use my own OBGYN?
You are allowed to consult your personal OBGYN during pregnancy or any other OBGYN, depending on the surrogacy arrangements. However, testing will be conducted at a fertility clinic in our network in Beverly Hills, not at your personal OBGYN.
Depending on the details of the Surrogacy Agreement, the intended parents may want to attend ultrasounds or OBGYN appointments. They may travel to your state and attend in person, or they may attend over Zoom, FaceTime, or the IMA ART app.
The details regarding this will be agreed upon between you and the intended parents and put in writing in the Surrogacy Agreement before the implantation of the embryo.
What is a pre-birth order?
The pre-birth order ensures full legal parental rights automatically transfer to the intended parents at the moment of birth. This is one of the core legalities your surrogacy lawyer will handle throughout your pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. Without a pre-birth order, there would be a court proceeding following the birth to grant the intended parents a post-birth order.
Although your Surrogacy Agreement will exempt you from any presumptive role concerning the child, the legal process for the pre-birth order commences during your second trimester. The objective is to ensure your intended parents are declared the sole legal parents of the child after birth. This allows for the issuance of a birth certificate.
Will I be fully covered by insurance?
Absolutely. While giving the gift of surrogacy is a beautiful and rewarding experience, there are health risks involved in any pregnancy. As a gestational carrier it’s essential that you have full insurance coverage.
Most insurance companies do not provide total medical coverage for the surrogacy journey, so our Insurance Specialists will make sure you have comprehensive surrogate-specific insurance to protect you, your family, and the newborn in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
You will not be responsible for any out-of-pocket payments, as this will be taken care of by the intended parents as stated in the Surrogacy Agreement.
Here’s a breakdown of the insurance coverage you will have:
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18-Month Accidental Death Insurance: In the unlikely event of a surrogate's accidental death, her family is entitled to up to $550,000 in coverage.
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Loss of Reproductive Organs Insurance: The surrogate mother will receive between $5,000 and $10,000 if she loses any of her reproductive organs during the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, medical procedures, pregnancy, or delivery.
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Total Permanent Disability Insurance: A maximum compensation of $250,000 is paid to the surrogate in cases of physical impairment.
Other legal services include ensuring surrogate protection in cases of miscarriages, selective reduction in multiple gestations, and more.
Surrogate candidate submits an application and previous OBGYN medical records. This includes assessing BMI and previous pregnancies, to be considered on IMA ART's secure database of surrogates.
Parents, including the intended mother, undergo FDA and Carrier screening to ensure embryos to be implanted to the surrogate are free of genetic disease that could be transferred to the surrogate.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory fertilizes the eggs to create embryos and performs pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT).
The embryos are frozen under cryopreservation in the IVF laboratory in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
After viable embryo(s) are confirmed (approximately 2-3 weeks after PGT), IMA ART Fertility begins searching through our secure database to find a surrogate.
IMA ART Fertility pre-screens surrogates' criminal record, financial and medical condition (medical history, including a history of successful pregnancies), and creates a profile.
Surrogates and the intended parents meet. This is most often done online via FaceTime or Zoom or using IMA ART’s propriety app.
Once matched, the surrogate candidate will be further examined by our Fertility Specialist and Clinical Psychologist on her medical and psychological suitability to be a surrogacy professional. Other assessments include talking with friends or family members to make sure potential surrogates have a strong support system. IMA ART will also conduct a home visit to the surrogate’s house.
Once confirmed, both the surrogate and legal parents engage attorneys to draft the Surrogate Agreement. IMA ART Fertility will coordinate and introduce attorneys to each of the parties.
IMA ART’s luxury surrogacy program includes insurance especially written for surrogates. This is done to give our surrogates peace of mind during the surrogate journey, as stress may lead to premature birth and changes to a child’s gut microbiome that can last years.
The surrogacy contract is executed by both parties, represented by their reproductive lawyers. The gestational surrogate starts taking IVF medication, and embryo transfer occurs at an IVF clinic selected by IMA ART Fertility.
Once pregnancy is confirmed through detection of the fetus’s heartbeat, parents and attorneys evaluate the need for newborn insurance and pay the premium.
During the pregnancy, the surrogate is monitored by her OB/GYN and Clinical Psychologist.
At around 28 weeks into the pregnancy, IMA ART Fertility works with our Reproductive and Surrogacy Law attorney to obtain the Parental Order from court.
At 36 weeks into the pregnancy, clients will travel to the birth city to pick up the newborn baby and go back to their home state or country as a family. (This trip may take upwards of 4-5 weeks.)
Become a surrogate mother — FAQ
Here are answers to common questions about how to become a surrogate mother. If you don’t see an answer to your question here, please see our main Parent FAQ and Surrogate FAQ, or contact us.
What are the two types of surrogacy?
Gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy are the two types of surrogacy. A gestational carrier is not biologically related to the fetus because both the gametes come from the intended parents or sperm or egg donors. On the other hand, a traditional surrogate is genetically related to the baby because her egg is used for insemination of sperm during implantation.
How does a surrogate register her interest?
Follow this link to register your interest to become a surrogate mother. The application form will ask you for basic details and contact information. Once you register your interest, Co-Founders Michelle & Ron will personally contact you. After the personal call, our Co-Founder will send you the surrogate application.
While the exact amount a surrogate mother is paid depends upon the negotiations between her and the intended parents, for IMA ART Fertility surrogates we set expectations for base compensation at up to $85,000.
Additionally, the surrogate mother receives other benefits and reimbursements. This includes a $460 monthly expense allowance for 12 months, $500 legal confirmation and injectable medical allowances, an $800 embryo transfer allowance each time an embryo is transferred, a $100 weekly housekeeping allowance, and a $1,100 maternity clothing allowance.
In addition, IMA ART Fertility surrogates are generously covered by surrogate-specific Maternity Care Insurance that provides coverage of up to $250,000 at in-network providers. Not to mention our luxurious concierge services you’ll be able to enjoy during your stay in Beverly Hills.
Read more about surrogacy insurance here.
Surrogates are in high demand, and carrying a baby for a couple or individual is a beautiful and sacrificial gift. Being a gestational carrier is hard work, and it comes with risks. For these reasons, at IMA ART Fertility surrogate mothers receive the same high base compensation, no matter where they live in the U.S., and no matter whether they are an experienced surrogate or this is their first time carrying a child for someone else.
It’s our priority that each surrogacy experience is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. This is why we set strict requirements to be a surrogate — and set a high base pay and generous compensation packages for every surrogate mother.
Read more about surrogate compensation.
How much is a surrogate mother paid?
What are the surrogate requirements?
At IMA ART Fertility, our surrogate mother requirements are in accordance with the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommendations. Our pre-screening process looks at physical, psychological and demographic requirements. This includes consideration of your medical records and mental health, and it involves a psychological screening and background check.
For a surrogate candidate to be accepted, she must be within the ages of 21 and 37 when she applies. However, in certain cases a surrogate mother may be older when the embryo implantation takes place.
To meet other basic physical requirements, you must have:
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Had at least one previous healthy pregnancy and delivery (full-term and free of complications), but no more than five previous pregnancies.
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Body mass index (BMI) of 18-32.
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No previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes (unless you were able to manage it solely with dietary restrictions) or hypertension in previous pregnancies.
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No previous diagnosis of serious psychological conditions, and must have been off antidepressants for at least 3 to 6 months (depending on the IVF clinic) with prescriber approval.
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No previous drug or alcohol abuse.
A surrogacy applicant may be asked to carry a twin pregnancy if the embryo splits in two, and they may be asked to terminate the pregnancy in the event that medical professionals detect a condition that would eliminate the chance for the desired quality of life. The parameters of this will vary among intended parents, and at IMA ART Fertility we prioritize matching surrogates with intended parents who share similar values.
To become a surrogate mother with IMA ART, you must also be financially stable and pass a credit check, as well as reside in a surrogacy-friendly state and have no criminal record.
Read more about IMA ART Fertility’s requirements to be a surrogate.
Absolutely yes! Not only will you meet the intended parents, but at IMA ART Fertility we want you to have a connection with them too. This first meetup most often happens on a Zoom call or through IMA ART’s exclusive app.
Surrogate mothers will meet the intended parent(s) usually 4 weeks or more after the medical screening process. This is to initiate a social bond and connection, and it allows both parties to discuss surrogacy specifics and expectations.
Will I meet the intended parents?
What’s a Surrogacy Agreement?
A Surrogacy Agreement is a surrogacy contract that contains the roles and rights of parties involved in the surrogacy process, including surrogate compensation. The details of this contract will be agreed upon by the surrogate as well as the intended parents or individual before transplantation of the embryo.
The Surrogacy Agreement will be drafted by the lawyer representing the intended parent(s) and reviewed by the lawyer representing the surrogate mother. And IMA ART Fertility will work with all the parties ensuring everyone’s expectations and requirements are met.
We are a luxury boutique surrogacy agency and concierge — not just for the parents who want to build a family, but also for the surrogate mothers who make that possible. We show this not only through our competitive base compensation and generous financial benefits, but also through our commitment and attentiveness to you and especially your family throughout the surrogacy process.
Rather than being handed off to a subordinate case manager, you will work and communicate directly with Co-Founder and CEO Michelle Tang and Co-Founder & Creative Ron Sonnenberg. We understand that carrying a child is not a 9-5 job. You may have a question or need at any time of day or night, on weekends, or on holidays.
At other agencies, a case worker may get around to returning your Saturday night call on the following Monday afternoon. But at IMA ART Fertility, you can use our app to communicate with Michelle and Ron directly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
At IMA ART Fertility, you are a VIP. We maintain the highest ethical standards throughout the entire surrogacy journey, and we employ the latest advancements in infertility treatments and reproductive medicine to ensure both the surrogate and the intended parents receive the best care.
