Egg Donor & Surrogacy Law Blog : Surrogacy and Egg Donation Lawyer & Attorney : Theresa Erickson : Erickson Law Firm : Practicing Reproductive and Gestational Carrier Law

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Fertility Association's Dessert & Learn, a free program designed to educate individuals and couples about their family-building options in a fun and relaxed setting, is coming to La Jolla, California September 21st. Those who attend Dessert & Learn La Jolla will engage in a conversation with Theresa Erickson, Esq., of Erickson Law, about third party reproduction options like egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. To make the event inviting, Cups Organic Bakery will be on hand serving up a buffet of complimentary organic cupcakes and The AFA will be serving the Fertilitini(TM), the wildly popular all-organic, non-alcoholic cocktail. To make the evening even more relaxing, it's being held poolside at Ranch La Jolla, with magnificent views overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"I felt that the Dessert & Learn series would be a great opportunity for me to connect with couples and individuals who desperately want a family but were afraid to ask the questions that they absolutely need to ask and to pose those questions that they absolutely have to ask," says Erickson. "In an intimate setting such as this, everyone can be in a relaxed environment that provides great food and great learning!"

Dessert & Learn La Jolla really benefits two different populations: the gay and lesbian population and those who are experiencing infertility issues and need a donor or surrogate to build their families.

"Family-building can be stressful. If you're experiencing infertility or simply require third party reproduction because you're gay, we don't want people's lives to stop when they are trying to have a baby and build a family," says Corey Whelan, The AFA's Program Director. Whelan went on to say, "We've created soft spaces for people to learn in. Life is hard enough. Our job is to make the journey kinder as well as informative.

This is Dessert & Learn's premiere event. 7.3 million American women face some form of infertility and men aren't far behind. While infertility prevention is extremely important, there are also steps that can and should be taken by those experiencing infertility and options that should be explored, like third party reproduction.

"Dessert & Learn is part of The AFA's Education Outreach Series, which takes education to people in uncommon but relaxing settings, whether poolside in La Jolla, at an intimate space in a restaurant, or in a manicure parlor," says Ken Mosesian, Executive Director of The AFA. "We knew we had hit on something big when our first Manicures & Martinis Infertility Prevention event was the cover story in Newsweek and our second event hit national network news on CNN American Morning. Like that event, Dessert & Learn La Jolla will also help us take a huge leap forward in normalizing the conversation about fertility, this time with an emphasis on third party reproduction."

The American Fertility Association, a 501(c)(3) national non-profit organization, is a lifetime resource for infertility prevention, reproductive health and family-building. AFA services and materials are provided free of charge to consumers and available to everyone without reservation. These services include an extensive online library, monthly online chats, telephone and in-person coaching, a resource directory, hosted message boards, daily fertility news and a toll-free support line.

http://www.theafa.org or  888.917.3777 

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You bet I do.....but, just when they involve educating those who are desperate and vulnerable and need some guidance. 

In conjunction with the American Fertility Association, I will be hosting a "Dessert & Learn."  Please join us in beautiful La Jolla, California.

See Corey's blog post here:

by Corey Whelan

Have you met her?  One of the most knowledgeable and compassionate attorneys in this field; plus she has the most astonishing savvy.  A true thoroughbred, inside and out.  I’m proud that Theresa sits on The AFA’s board of directors and am grateful for the wisdom she has brought to these blog pages. 

 The AFA is big on creating soft spaces for people to learn in.  Why shouldn’t life have some sweetness, even when you are struggling to create your family?  So when Theresa came to us and said she wanted to reach out to the people of La Jolla who are interested in third party reproduction, we knew we had to find the right place for folks to get to know her, and benefit from what she has to bring to the table, especially if that table features a dessert buffet.

Enter CUPS.  CUPS is a brand new, organic bakery that specializes in?  You guessed it.  Cupcakes.  Exotic, amazing, silly, frivolous, and organic baked creations, guaranteed to shift your reality from oy to yum.   

Perfect.

Except for one tiny detail.  CUPS is so new, they are not even open yet.  But Michelle, CUPS owner and an attorney in her own right, believes so strongly in The AFA’s mission that she is lending us her gracious and magnificent estate for this season’s premier Dessert & Learn event. 

So…..please join us poolside at Rancho La Jolla.  We will be having an intimate and relaxed chat with Theresa about ovum donation, surrogacy, and everything third party repro.      

I’ll save you a bite.

For more info on our upcoming Dessert & Learn, click here.

 For info on Erickson Law, click here.

For info on CUPS Organic Bakery, click here.

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As most of your reading this know…having an attorney when diving into the prospect of becoming a parent through Assisted Reproductive Technologies is one of the most important things that you can do. That becomes even more important once Egg Donors and Surrogates also get involved. Having a lawyer, especially one that specializes in Reproductive law, becomes more important for a few reasons:

1.      EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE. A lawyer within the field of Reproductive law will not only know the laws concerning surrogacy and egg donation in each state, but they will also have the experience in dealing with prospective parents as well as surrogates and egg donors.

2.      CONTRACTS. An experienced attorney will be able to draft a comprehensive surrogacy and/or egg donation agreement that will be able to address any issues, whether monetary or not, that may arise during the course of the contract.

3.      TRUST ACCOUNTS/FUND MANAGEMENT. A lawyer experienced in reproductive law will be able to tell prospective parents what fees and/or expenses are customary and will be able to fully handle your trust account along with keeping your relationship with your surrogate and/donor separate from any issues regarding funds.

4.      DISPUTE RESOLUTION. With the help of an experienced attorney, you will have an intermediary for any disputes that may arise during the surrogate pregnancy between you and your surrogate.

5.      RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT. Having an attorney that drafts your surrogacy contract and/or egg donation contract can aid prospective parents in deciding what type of relationship they will have with either their egg donor and/or their surrogate throughout the pregnancy and after.

Along with these few reasons there are numerous others that illustrate why you should have an experienced reproductive lawyer prior to embarking on egg donation and/or surrogacy. What are your thoughts?

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