Coming up on Episode 13; The Law Commissions proposals in discussion with Barrister Andrew Powell (from 4PB) and Andrew Spearman (Partner / from Laytons ETL Global)

My Surrogacy Journey - The Podcast is the UK's leading multi award winning podcast from a non profit UK surrogacy organisation.

Michael and Wes are your hosts, and as parents themselves through surrogacy to two children (Talulah is 7 and Duke is 4) they continue to advocate, campaign and strive to improve the landscape of surrogacy in the UK and globally. Addressing safety, exploitation and educating those about the real truths about safer surrogacy. 

Today’s teaser episode is all about The Commissions recommendations for future surrogacy laws in the UK. Wes chats to two experts, Andrew Powell, Barrister at 4PB and Andrew Spearman Partner and Head of Family Team at Laytons ETL Global. We explore all the avenues of the bill and ask the question, can we even see this current Conservative government even taking forward the law commissions recommendations?

Our wonderful guests tell us all more about whether they agree with the proposals and what was the most disappointing discovery with the final proposal - listen to find out more.

Guest bios:

Andrew Spearman, Partner and Head of Family Law

Andrew is an experienced family law practitioner with a specialism in Surrogacy & Fertility law and financial disputes on marital breakdown involving company and trust structures. He became a Partner at Laytons in 2019 and is Head of the Family Team, ensuring the highest quality of service and client care for each client. In 2019, he was identified as a Leading Individual by the Legal 500 team for his work in the field of surrogacy law and parenthood. As a consequence of his extensive work, seminars and involvement with surrogacy charities, he is recognised both as a leader in his field and as having an ability to give practical, proportionate solutions to complex problems.

Andrew Powell, Barrister.

Andrew is a family law barrister called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2008 based at 4PB, a leading specialist family law barristers’ chambers based in central London. 

He is widely recognised for his expertise in cases concerning children. He is listed in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading barrister and was recently described in Chambers and Partners as having “..an absolutely encyclopaedic knowledge of surrogacy law”.  

His practice focuses on parental disputes about arrangements for children after separation, international children law including child abduction, and applications to relocate children to another country. He regularly represents parties in surrogacy, adoption and declaration of parentage cases. He has appeared in some of the leading cases concerning surrogacy and adoption in the High Court.   

Andrew was awarded the ‘Family Law Junior Barrister of the Year Award’ in 2021 and has published a book about the legal aspects of surrogacy.  

My Surrogacy Journey is a Talulah and The Duke Production and is recorded in London at Outset Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.