Australia is currently in the process of taking a close look at the surrogacy laws that exist in various parts of the country. There are some parts of the country where surrogacy is illegal in various forms.
For example, altruistic surrogacy (in which a woman carries the child for no monetary compensation) is a criminal offense in Queensland. People who do this there can be fined up to $7500 or may spend up to three years in prison for the act.
In some cases, people will travel between different parts of Australia to complete the surrogacy in places where it is illegal. Some areas allow for the surrogacy to be finished in hospitals in the area once it's been started somewhere that allows for it.
For those people who don't want to deal with the complicated laws of Australia, there is always the option of coming to the United States to get a surrogate. These people are willing to pay upwards of $75000 to gain a child through the assistance of a U.S. surrogate. This practice may change as the laws in Australia are currently under review.
Question of the Day: Should Australia legalize or decriminalize surrogacy throughout the country?
