Tool
Surrogacy agency comparison
Talking to a few agencies? This tool keeps everything in one place: the questions for each call, your impression of every topic, and a clear comparison at the end. Everything is saved in your browser only.
How it works
- Add an agency before each call — name and details.
- During the call, pick the agency you're speaking with at the top, and work through the questions.
- For each question: a mark (feels right · needs clarifying · not for us) and space to jot what they answered — because not every answer is a yes or a no.
- At the end — a per-question comparison table across all agencies, with print / save as PDF.
Add your first agency to begin.
Money & transparency
The section where agencies differ most — and where a pleasant call hides it best. Ask for every answer here in writing too.
- What is the overall cost, and what is the full payment schedule along the way?A good answer: a written schedule with milestones, not “it depends”.
- Which payments are refundable at each stage — and which are not?
- If the match falls through — what does a rematch cost? Is there a time limit on a free rematch?
- If the surrogate changes her mind before contracts are signed — who carries the costs already paid?
- What would a second journey cost with the same surrogate? And with a new one?
- Is the money held by an independent, external escrow company — or by the agency itself?External escrow is the standard. In-house handling is a red flag.
- Are all funds required immediately after matching, or in stages?
- How are the surrogate's reimbursements managed — full receipts we can review, or a summary report? Fixed allowances or case-by-case?
- How many unforeseen expenses can there be, and what are the biggest you have actually seen?
- Do you pay a referral commission to whoever sent us — and what would the cost have been had we come directly?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
The team — who we actually work with
On a first call you will almost always speak to the owner. These questions test who handles you day to day, after signing.
- Who are the staff who will actually handle our case, and what is their role and experience?
- Is there a separate coordinator for the surrogate and a separate one for us — or does one coordinator represent both sides?One coordinator for both sides is a built-in conflict when a dispute comes.
- How many families does a single coordinator handle at the same time?
- Who covers when our coordinator is away, and what is your availability in an emergency?
- Is there a lawyer at the agency? What do they handle?
- What sets you apart from other agencies?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
Finding & screening surrogates
- Tell us about the process — how do you find, screen and choose an applicant?
- What screening tools do you use, and is a psychological evaluation performed before a match is offered?
- Do you run criminal background checks before adding applicants to your database? If she is married — what screening does her partner go through?
- Do you obtain her full medical records, and does a fertility specialist review them before she is offered to us?
- Why do surrogates choose to work with you over other agencies? How many surrogate applications do you receive a month?An agency that attracts strong surrogates answers this easily, and proudly.
- What states do your applicants come from? Are there legal restraints or conditions we should know about?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
Matching & timelines
- What is your actual average matching time — and how many matches did you complete in the past year?Ask for last year's numbers, not promises.
- Are there candidates available in the near future?
- Do you offer several applicants to choose from, or one at a time? And what happens if we pass?
- What are your matching criteria — how do you decide who fits us specifically?
- Is there a video call with her before the match is confirmed, and who runs the first meeting?
- What happens if she fails the clinic's medical screening — do we go back in line? Where in it?
- Can you connect us with past intended parents for references?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
Managing the pregnancy & birth
- How do you manage the journey from matching through transfer and pregnancy? How do you stay in touch with her, and with us?
- Will we have access to the pregnancy's medical records, and how will we receive updates?
- How does the birth work — can we be present? Who coordinates with the hospital and makes sure we are recorded as the parents?
- Who is in charge of the legal side in the US — the parentage judgment, the birth certificate, and severing the surrogate's parental tie?
- Has a surrogate ever refused to give up the baby? How was it handled?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
Insurance
- How is the surrogate's medical insurance handled — who finds the policy, who buys it, and what does it cost?
- Has her policy been reviewed for surrogacy exclusions?
- How is the newborns' insurance handled until we fly home? Is there NICU cover — including for twins?
Add an agency to start filling in answers.
Filled it in? Let's go over it together.
A good comparison raises new questions. I've been going over tables like this with parents for years — a short call can prevent an expensive mistake.