LONDON, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Circle Surrogacy, one of the oldest surrogate parenting agencies in the United States, announces an informational seminar to be held on March 26, 2011 in London. The meeting will give prospective parents an opportunity to hear expert advice about surrogate parenting options, listen to personal stories from parents and a former surrogate, and ask questions about the various aspects - medical, legal, financial - of surrogate parenting.

"Recent UK court decisions have reinforced the desirability of pursuing surrogacy in the United States for British prospective parents," says John Weltman, Circle Surrogacy's president and a widely recognized expert in reproductive law. "We are very knowledgeable of the laws in each country and in some of the most frequent destinations such as Sweden, Italy, Israel and here in the UK, we partner with local organizations and lawyers to provide a complete solution for our clients before and after the birth."

In a landmark December 2010 case, a childless British couple for which an Illinois woman had acted as a surrogate mother was granted custody of their child. While in January, a British woman who had acted as a surrogate for a couple in the UK was granted custody of the child to whom she had given birth, denying rights to the intended parents. By contrast, US court decisions have reinforced the rights of intended parents who have pursued surrogacy and no US appeals court has ever ruled in favor of a woman seeking to retain custody of a child to whom she gave birth as a surrogate mother.

Weltman stated that Circle's staff regularly meets with prospective clients for consultations in their own countries, although many still conduct them over the phone or in Boston and New York leading all intended parents through the logistical, legal and administrative processes involved from day one until they arrive home and gain full custody of their newborns.

Advances in reproductive technology, favorable laws, growing media attention and societal acceptance have contributed to rapid growth of surrogacy in the United States as a parenting alternative for infertile couples, individuals, and the gay community. While many countries worldwide still outlaw or restrict the practice, most states in America permit compensated surrogacy.

"There is a fundamental need for reproduction alternatives like surrogacy and egg donation," says Weltman, "and that need is for a couple, who, try after try and are still childless, to be able to share their love with a child of their own. And we can make that happen."