Surrogacy can be a wonderful experience for two people who desperately want children but who are not able to physically bring them into the world. There have been many stories of happy cases where everything worked as those involved planned from the beginning. However, there are other cases where child custody issues have become a problem. Pennsylvania residents may be interested in one such story of a child custody fight between the surrogate and the father of the children to whom she gave birth.
The father is a 50-year-old man who is single as well as deaf and lives with his parents. After the 48-year-old surrogate found out she was pregnant with triplets, the father sent a letter to the surrogate requesting she abort one of the babies because he was not going to be able to care for all three once she gave birth. After the babies were born, she filed a lawsuit against him for custody of any or all of them.
The babies were in the hospital for several weeks before the father was able to take them home after a temporary stay ended. The surrogate was never able to see the boys after she gave birth to them. Child services in the state where the father lives is keeping an eye on the father, who has taken leave from his postal job as he learns to care for his sons.
Very few child custody agreements are handled without any problems. Many Pennsylvania parents who have been through custody disputes know that assistance from an attorney has helped when working through contention. Parents should find out about their legal options if this type of support is required.
Source: New York Post, “Triplets living with biological dad amid surrogate custody battle“, Lindsay Putnam, April 30, 2016
