Get a parentage order

A parentage order is a court order that transfers parentage from the birth parent(s) to the intended parent(s)—as part of the surrogacy arrangement. This means the birth mother and her partner (if she has one) no longer have a legal parental relationship with the child and the intended parents become the child’s legal parents.

We suggest that you get legal advice when making your decision. This will help you make an informed choice and, if necessary, follow the correct application process and provide the court with the documents it requires. These documents will vary depending on the circumstances of your case.

Applying for a parentage order

Who can apply

If you are the intended parent(s), you can apply to the Children’s Court of Queensland for a parentage order.

Transferring legal parentage gives:

you the legal right to make decisions and applications to government agencies for your child
your child certainty about their name and birth certificate, and entitlement under wills and deceased estates.

When to apply

You can apply to the Children’s Court of Queensland for a parentage order when your child:

is between 28 days and 6 months old
has lived with you for at least 28 consecutive days.

Your privacy

To protect your privacy, the Surrogacy Act 2010 contains special provisions regarding who can:

be present at the court when an application for a parentage order is being heard
access the court record.

It also outlines what information can be published about the court proceedings.

Requirements for a parentage order

For a court to make a parentage order, there must have been a medical or social need for the surrogacy. According to the Surrogacy Act, this means you are eligible if the intended parent(s) are either:

unable to become pregnant, carry a pregnancy or give birth
likely to affect the child with a genetic condition or disorder, or put the child’s health or life at risk
unlikely to survive a pregnancy or birth, or likely to have their health significantly affected.

The surrogacy arrangement must:

be in writing
not be a commercial arrangement.

The birth parent(s) and intended parent(s) must have:

received separate legal advice before making the surrogacy arrangement
gone through counselling about the surrogacy with a qualified counsellor before making the arrangement
made the surrogacy arrangement before the child was conceived
agreed to the surrogacy arrangement
signed the surrogacy arrangement
been at least 25 years old when the surrogacy arrangement was made
all agreed to the making of the parentage order.

The intended parent(s) must:

be residents of Queensland
have applied for transfer of parentage at least 28 days after, and within 6 months of, the child’s birth.

The child must:

have lived with the intended parent(s) for at least 28 consecutive days
be living with the intended parent(s) when the application is lodged
still be living with the intended parent(s) during the court hearing.

A surrogacy guidance report, prepared by an independent and qualified counsellor, must be given to the court. This report can't be done by the same counsellor who gave counselling to any of the parties before they entered into the arrangement.

The parentage order must be for the wellbeing and best interests of the child.

Registering a parentage order

If you are the intended parent(s) and the court makes a parentage order, it means you are now the child’s legal parents. When you receive the parentage order, you must submit a register a parentage or discharge order application form and pay the fee with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Setting aside or appealing a parentage order

A parentage order may be set aside if it is in the best interests of the child and one of the following applies:

there has been fraud, pressure or other improper ways of manipulating the situation
a party did not agree, or agreed based on payment, reward or other material benefit or advantage
there is an exceptional reason.

If a parentage order is set aside or refused, you may appeal to the Court of Appeal.

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