Ten questions tell you most of what you need to know about an agency

Choosing a surrogacy agency is one of the biggest decisions you will make in this process. The agency shapes who you meet, how money moves and how supported you feel on hard days.

Websites tend to look alike. The answers to direct questions do not. Here are ten questions to ask any agency, including us. They work whether you are an intended parent, a surrogate or an egg donor.

The ten questions

1. Ask where the money is held

Client funds for surrogate pay and expenses should go into an independent escrow account or an attorney trust account. In California, Family Code sections 7960 to 7962 require surrogacy facilitators to direct client funds there.

Ask the agency to name the escrow company. Ask whether the agency has any ownership in it. Ask how often you will get statements. If an agency holds client funds in its own account, walk away.

2. Ask how many cases each coordinator manages

Caseload matters more than almost anything else. A coordinator with too many families cannot return calls quickly or catch small problems early.

Ask for a number. Ask whether it includes families still waiting to match. A vague answer is an answer.

3. Ask who your coordinator will be

Some agencies sell you on the founder, then hand you to someone you have never met. Ask who will manage your case day to day. Ask to speak with them before you sign.

Ask what happens if that person leaves or goes on vacation. You want a named backup, not a general inbox.

4. Ask how surrogate pay is stated

Look at how the agency describes surrogate pay. Clear agencies state base pay on its own, then list benefits and event-based payments separately.

Some agencies advertise a large total that includes payments a surrogate may never receive. That is a warning sign for everyone. It tells surrogates the agency is willing to mislead. It tells parents the budget may be fuzzy.

5. Ask how surrogates and donors are screened

Good screening protects everyone. Ask whether the agency reviews full medical and pregnancy records, runs background checks and requires a psychological evaluation by a licensed professional.

Ask who decides when someone does not qualify, and whether the agency ever overrides a clinic's concerns.

6. Ask how matching works and how long it takes

Ask how matches are proposed and how much say each side has. Ask for an honest range of wait times, and what that range depends on.

No agency can guarantee a match or a timeline. Be careful with one that does.

7. Ask about lawyers

In California, each party to a surrogacy agreement has their own independent lawyer. The agency should never tell you the other side's lawyer can represent you too.

Ask whether you can choose your own lawyer. Ask whether the agency has any financial relationship with the lawyers it suggests.

8. Ask what the fee covers and what happens if a match ends

Get a written list of what the agency fee includes. Ask what is not included. Ask what happens if a match ends before transfer, or if a surrogate is no longer able to continue. Is there a rematch? Is any part of the fee refundable?

9. Ask how surrogates are supported

This matters to parents as much as to surrogates. A surrogate who feels respected and supported is more likely to have a calm, healthy pregnancy and a good relationship with you.

Ask about counseling, how quickly surrogates can reach someone, and what support continues after the birth.

10. Ask who you can talk to

Ask for references from families and surrogates who have worked with the agency, with their permission. Ask how long the agency has operated and who its senior staff are.

If an agency is new, ask what experience its team brings and how it will handle problems it has not seen before.

Red flags are easy to spot once you look

• Funds held in the agency's own account.
• Pay stated only as a large total.
• No named coordinator before you sign.
• Pressure to sign quickly.
• Promises of a guaranteed match or timeline.
• One lawyer offered for both sides.

We answer these questions directly

Poppy Surrogacy is a new, boutique agency in Pacific Palisades. You should ask us these same questions. Here is where we stand:

• All client funds go to an independent escrow account [[PLACEHOLDER: escrow provider name]].
• Each coordinator handles no more than [[PLACEHOLDER: maximum caseload]] active cases.
• You meet your coordinator before you sign.
• Surrogate pay is stated as base pay from $65,000, plus benefits listed separately. Egg donors are paid from $10,000 per cycle.
• Each party has a separate lawyer.
• Matching for intended parents opens soon.

Take your time. A good agency will give you room to decide.

This article is general information. It is not legal or medical advice.