Adoption vs Surrogacy

At Rosjurconsulting we respect everyone’s right to having a family. And we also firmly believe that there is no “right” or “wrong” way of creating one. What really matters is an unconditional love that parents and children bring to this world. Despite growing public acceptance and tolerance towards all types of modern families, people who decided to pursue surrogacy are often asked uncomfortable questions like “why you don’t just adopt a child?” We understand that such invasive questions bring up a multitude of feelings ranging from guilt to anger and apathy.

On the surface, this question might sound like a fair one. It is impossible to deny that there are many children on the planet looking for a new home and loving parents. But why saving them is a mission delegated only to people who cannot have their own children? Shouldn’t we all participate in making this planet a better place to live at, to bring more love and happiness?

If you find yourself deciding between pursuing adoption OR surrogacy, we want you to remember that no option is better or worse than the other. Just like your friends and relatives might have a choice as for how many children to have and where to raise them, you have the right to decide how to build your own family.

To help you make that choice, however, we would like to review some aspects in which surrogacy differs from adoption.

• Surrogacy is available for everyone willing to become a parent in Russia regardless of nationality, adoption might be a difficult path to take given the fact that it’s an option only for Russian citizens eligible for the adoption process.
• Via surrogacy you will have a child biologically related to you, adoption involves bringing into your life a child who is not genetically linked to you.
• Surrogacy gives more control over the prenatal environment, adoptive parents will know very little about their child’s medical history.
• Surrogacy is associated with higher costs as it involves IVF procedures and compensation for a surrogate, adoption might be cheaper. 
• Surrogacy allows you to witness the childbirth and hold this small life in your hands, adoption requires a long process, which means you’re unlikely to raise your child from infancy.
• Surrogacy process normally lasts 12 months (from the first consultation to childbirth), adoption, especially international, could take years to complete the process. 

In case you qualify and decide to pursue adoption in Russia, we will gladly help you at this noble path by providing legal support and counseling. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to help you to find a child for adoption, but we certainly can help with drafting and reviewing legal documents related to the adoption process.Beware of agencies that promise to expedite the process or to find you a child – commercial brokering and matching services in the field of adoption are illegal in Russia. All the information related to adoption is available on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.