The easy-going Manchester United supporters probably know that being a die-hard Manchester United (MU) supporter often entails creating future plans. In honour of Manchester United, we’ll refer to Manchester City as “that other team”. Fans of that other team may think that MU fans are obsessive, with a coach that sometimes overthinks his tactics. They’ll also doubt the planning tactics that some MU supporters impose, whether on footballers or domestically. Fans of that other team aren’t sinister – they just don’t understand the role of planning when playing football or in family environments. This article aims to bridge the divide and help all supporters understand the need for planning in a surrogacy agreement. As with a good footballing squad, each footballer must have a role. In addition, the contract each player has with the club is a vital component of the successful operation of that club. The agreement lays out the terms and conditions of the relationship between the player and the club. Similarly, a surrogate agreement outlines the rules which will govern the relationship between the intended parents and the surrogate during the pregnancy. It’s designed to protect the surrogate from exploitation or uncertainty due to the expected lifestyle changes that she would need to make during the pregnancy. Conversely, it details what the surrogate can expect from the intended parents and what their responsibilities will entail. Like the MU players, surrogates won’t be playing every week and need to be willing to accept limitations to time off. Though any signed surrogate agreement may feel like a drawn-out penalty shootout, the reality is much quicker. That said, the principles of starting with small components that build into a larger picture are just as relevant in football as in a legal environment for surrogacy.
Firstly, the surrogate agreement outlines the roles of the intended parents and surrogate, creating mutual accountability. This essential communication is done at the very start of the agreement, which is akin to the planning and preparation that goes into a game of football. Without this kind of communication, the surrogate might end up agreeing to a task that disrupts her daily routine and/or her business. Each party begins the surrogate agreement with a level of understanding and commitment that only improves as the process progresses. As with all relationships, some rules have to be instilled and agreed upon. These rules are necessary to prevent disputes that could affect the future outcome of the agreement. For privacy, the surrogate may not want the intended parents to accompany her for all hospital visits and scans. Regardless of that particular decision, medical information should be treated with great care, creating a mutual support network that benefits all parties. The surrogate agreement should outline the role that each party will take should either try to change the initial plan. For example, if the pregnancy is outside of the intended parents’ home country, then this part would outline the protocols for international travel where necessary, including who will bear the costs of flights and accommodation.
Most MU supporters will know the feeling of losing out on something due to an unforeseen circumstance. One of the biggest prerogatives often is to ensure it doesn’t happen again. In the same way, a properly drafted surrogate agreement sets out the consequences of a breach, so that no one feels they’ve been cheated. Should the surrogate go against the terms of the agreement, she may lose the right to pay for the process, or be further compensated by the intended parents for their inconvenience. Though it’s a good rule for life, it’s a very good rule in football that individuals should know their roles. If they don’t, the team will almost definitely struggle to perform. Once a team performs poorly, it becomes harder to get back to winning ways. Similarly, a good surrogate agreement will prevent complications in the event of a dispute. This means that if a problem does arise, it can be dealt with quickly. A football analogy on a football team will be confusing unless we make the same points for a surrogate agreement as MU supporters do for their team’s failings.
In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, one player’s failing can result in unexpected hits to the rest of the squad, like the added stress of not having the right surrogate agreement in place when needed. To have an agreement in place, both parties will have to discuss the potential risks and benefits and agree on the terms of the surrogate agreement upfront. This will include who should address certain issues and how to tackle them together. As with any good football team, the manager will be responsible for the strategy of the team. In this case, the planned strategy is supposed to help all parties achieve the desired outcome. A well-written surrogate agreement is important to ensure that the foreigners and locals are on the same page. The agreement is written to keep in mind UK surrogacy laws as well as how these may impact an international surrogacy for an intended family. As such, the surrogate agreement acts as a shield to ensure that unforeseen negative impacts don’t affect the welfare of the child or involved adults.
On a more personal level, many MU supporters care about the economic and social development of Manchester. Similarly, someone contemplating surrogacy will want the best for them and their surrogate. While the intention of this article is to draw parallels between football and surrogacy, the analogy may stretch a little far when comparing the teamwork of the MU backroom staff and an intended family’s application for a surrogate agreement. That said, all MU supporters will know that unique plans are often in action when MU fans decide on a course of action. While it’s usually related to the outcome of the season, parents will have to find a way to keep the business and family arms of their lives separate and organised. A few days before a game, preparation and organisation will typically be hard at work in the MU boardroom. A quick “let’s plan a surprise” announcement is unlikely to get the desired result if the right tasks haven’t already been completed. In the same way, in the lead-up to starting a family, parents will consider the welfare of everyone involved. Prior planning can prevent last minute issues that could stop a pregnancy from taking place. For MU supporters, knowing everything about your favourite football club is like a rite of passage. From analysing player stats to following the latest news on who might be the next MU manager (or the right one if you also support that other team), many MU supporters know more about MU than they do about their friends. In the same way, knowing basic surrogacy law and how a surrogate agreement will affect your family plans will eventually help you know more about surrogacy. Like predicted and unplanned changes in a game, changes can happen with surrogacy and the best way to handle them is to be prepared in advance.