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Building a family can be an emotional and financial challenge . Surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are valuable options for individuals and couples but the process can be expensive and complicated, so that’s where employer benefits come into play. By covering some of these costs as well as adoption costs, companies can make a huge difference for their employees. More and more companies are providing support for their employees’ family-building journeys. Among them are major players like Meta, Microsoft, Google, Walmart, and Starbucks. These companies are not just offering competitive salaries and healthcare benefits—they’re also providing support for surrogacy  and IVF. As the cost for pursuing surrogacy and IVF treatment increases, here’s a closer look at what these benefits mean and why they’re a big deal. What Do These Benefits Include? Financial Support . Many companies offer financial assistance for surrogacy and IVF procedures. This can include coverage for medical costs, medication, and other related expenses. For instance, Meta currently provides substantial financial aid to employees undergoing IVF treatments, covering a significant portion of the costs. Legal Insurance . Many companies also offer legal insurance, which has the benefit of offering discounts or covering legal fees for family building. A surrogacy or egg donation journey requires lawyers to draft or review their contract, and surrogacy cases will require parentage actions, so having legal insurance can eliminate this expense. Read more about legal insurance here.   Paid Time Off .  IVF and surrogacy can require multiple appointments and procedures. Companies like Microsoft offer paid leave specifically for employees going through IVF. This ensures that employees don’t have to choose between their treatment and their job. Counseling and Support Services . Emotional support is crucial during surrogacy and IVF. Companies such as Walmart provide access to counseling and support services to help employees navigate the emotional aspects of these journeys. Flexible Work Arrangements . Some companies like Starbucks understand that treatments and appointments can disrupt normal work schedules. To accommodate this, they offer flexible working hours and remote work options, helping employees balance their work and personal lives. More companies are leading the way in supporting their employees' family-building dreams by offering surrogacy benefits. These trailblazing companies go beyond standard healthcare benefits to provide financial support, paid leave, emotional counseling, and flexible work arrangements. According to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit plans, 40% of U.S. employers offer some form of fertility coverage. For example in 2024:   NVIDIA  (partnered with WINFertility) offers 100% surrogacy coverage, setting a new standard in the industry. Estee Lauder  provides up to $150,000 in surrogacy benefits. Snap Inc.  offers $80,000, and Netflix  (partnered Carrot Fertility) offers $90,000 per family, where both the employee and the employee’s spouse utilize the benefits. Walmart  (partnered with Kindbody) offers fertility and family-building care of up to $20,000.  Bain & Company (Fertifa)  , Bank of America (Progyny)  , The Boston Consulting Group (Progyny) , Tesla (Kindbody) , and  Chanel  all offer unlimited access to IVF treatments. KKR  (IVI RMA) , Pyramid Hotel Group, and  Spotify (Carrot Fertility) offer unlimited benefits for fertility treatments Companies like  Zillow  (Progyny) and Chobani  are starting to offer paid leave for non delivering parents following adoptions. Meta (Progyny) , Pinterest, Conair, and  the University of Maryland  (WINFertility) all offer $100,000 of coverage in fertility treatments.  Salesforce (Carrot Fertility) , Google (Carrot Fertility) , Linkedin (Progyny) , News Corporation, Disney (WINFertility, eligible full time and part time) , Morgan Stanley (Ovation Fertility) ,  and  Unilever  offer up to $75,000 in fertility benefits. This level of commitment shows that these companies value employee well-being and are dedicated to creating inclusive workplaces. If you’re curious about your company’s benefits, start by checking your employee handbook or contacting your HR department. They can provide detailed information on what’s covered and how to access these benefits.  Some people look for jobs, including part time jobs, for their IVF or third party reproduction benefits. Companies that offer fertility benefits to part time employees include Starbucks, Amazon, Walmart, Disney, and Tractor Supply Company.  Conclusion More and more companies are supporting employees by offering employee benefits that include coverage for surrogacy, IVF or adoption. If you’re considering surrogacy or IVF, a job that has these benefits will be an attractive feature. If you’re an employer, following these industry leaders by working with one of their fertility benefit partner companies could show your commitment to your employees’ well-being. Need help with surrogacy, adoption, or egg donation? At Tsong Law Group, our team of experienced lawyers is here to guide you. We’re licensed in California, Washington, New York, Arizona, Illinois, and Oklahoma, and we’re committed to making the legal process as clear and supportive as possible. Reach out to us today   to see how we can assist you through every step of your journey.

When starting a family formation journey, it's important to be prepared legally and financially. One way to help pay for your legal costs for your journey is with the assistance of legal insurance. What exactly is legal insurance, and how can it help you in your surrogacy journey? Let’s break it down in simple terms. Legal insurance is a special type of insurance that pays for legal services. Think of it like health insurance, but for legal matters—it can cover the costs of hiring a lawyer for things like reviewing contracts, handling disputes, or providing legal advice. In the context of your family formation case, legal insurance can be particularly helpful to cover costs of drafting or reviewing an agreement. ' A third party reproductive journey involves a range of legal documents and agreements between intended parents, surrogates, donors, and sometimes surrogacy agencies. These documents can include surrogacy agreements, which outline the responsibilities and expectations of all parties involved; egg, sperm, or embryo donation agreements, which detail the terms of donation and parental rights; and adoption paperwork, whether it is a straightforward adoption or one where an adoption is needed to confirm parental rights of a parent for a foreign surrogacy arrangement or for a parent in a sperm donation case. Having legal insurance can help cover the costs, saving you money. At Tsong Law Group, we recognize the value of accessible legal services, particularly for complex matters like surrogacy ,   adoptions , and  donations  involving eggs, sperm, or embryos. That’s why we accept major legal insurance plans from top providers inclu ding: MetLife Legal Plans , LegalEASE , and ARAG Legal Insurance . Each offers distinct advantages to help you navigate your legal needs with confidence. MetLife Legal Plans  provides comprehensive coverage at an affordable cost, with access to over 18,000 qualified attorneys nationwide. Employers that offer MetLife Legal Plans include major corporations like Microsoft, Bank of America, Ebay, Meta, Boeing and Morgan Stanley.  We are one of the few surrogacy law and adoption specialists under MetLife Legal Plans.  Your coverage will vary depending on your employer but for some, MetLife will cover 20 hours of reproductive law, which will cover egg donation cases, a surrogacy agreement and part of a surrogacy parentage action. For others, Metlife may not cover reproductive law, but you may still be eligible for four hours of out-of-scope services which will cover a gamete donation agreement or count towards a surrogacy contract.  To check your Metlife benefits, we need your eligibility ID or membership number.  LegalEASE  has been a trusted name in legal insurance since 1971, offering plans that are often provided as employee benefits. Employers offering LegalEASE include Target, Google, CVS, and Stanley Black & Decker. Known for their expansive attorney network of over 20,560 vetted professionals, LegalEASE makes it easy for members to connect with the right attorney through their unique Compatibility/Matching System. Some LegalEASE cases will pay for your attorneys fees in full, for other cases you will be entitled to a discount on flat and hourly attorney fee rates.  ARAG Legal Insurance  is another legal insurance offering to University of California employees, California state employees, and employees at companies like Wells Fargo, the Cigna Group,  Mattel, and Oracle. ARAG was one of the first to offer reproductive law benefits. We accept ARAG for some egg, sperm and gamete donations cases, foster adoptions, and surrogacy agreement reviews. Where coverage is not found, you may still be entitled to reductions in flat or hourly rates. An honorable mention goes to Men Having Babies , a private organization. Members of Men Having Babies are entitled to 10% discounts and larger discounts if they qualify for the Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP) levels 1 or 2. By being qualified to provide services under these providers, Tsong Law Group provides an avenue for some clients to find discounts on their legal fees. Whether you’re navigating surrogacy, adoption, or other family-building options, we’re here to help you every step of the way.  If you’re interested in legal insurance, your first step should be to check with your employer. Many large employers offer legal insurance as part of their benefits package. Ask your Human Resources department if legal insurance is available to you and whether it covers surrogacy and related legal matters.  In addition to the main legal insurance providers, some workplaces offer other options like Workplace Options, a provider that partners with employers to offer legal services, and CLC (Certified Legal Counsel), which is another resource that some employers provide access to for various legal needs. These options can sometimes extend to cover surrogacy-related legal matters, so it’s worth exploring all the avenues available through your employer. Once you have your insurance or plan in place, the next step is to open up a case or matter, and you can then search for our name as a provider and request our service. We can assist you whether or not we are local to you, as long as you or your donor or your surrogate lives in one of our licensed states: California, Arizona, New York, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Washington.  Conclusion: The legal aspects of surrogacy, gamete donation, and adoption don’t have to be overwhelming. With the right legal insurance plan, you can have peace of mind knowing that your legal needs are covered, allowing you to focus on the joy of building your family. At Tsong Law Group, our experienced team of surrogacy, adoption and egg donation attorneys is here to guide you. We are licensed in California, Washington, New York, Arizona, Illinois, and Oklahoma.  Contact us today  to learn more about how we can support you on your surrogacy journey.

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, The Surrogacy (Madre de Alquiler), a Mexican telenovela drama might have caught your eye as a top 10 Netflix series in the US. It is a 24-episode drama that features a young girl who becomes a surrogate for a young and wealthy married couple. You might wonder as we did whether there will finally be a TV series with a nuanced, informed look at surrogacy or surrogates? In this series review blog, we will discuss the first two episodes for its depictions of surrogacy and its legal accuracy. The story opens in 2004 when surrogacy is still illegal in Mexico. Despite this, an influential and corrupt family targets Yeni, a young, naive woman who finds herself in a desperate situation when her father's freedom is on the line. To save her father, she agrees to become a surrogate for Julia and her husband, Carlos, who is heir to a powerful company. After successfully delivering the babies, everything changes. Depictions of Surrogacy and Its Legal Accuracy Sadly, the series makes very little effort towards factual accuracy. It is something of a legal and factual train wreck in how many things it can get wrong. Here are some inaccuracies spotted early on: Yeni, the surrogate, has never given birth before. Under ASRM guidelines, surrogates must have experience delivering babies so that the doctors know they are ideal candidates without complicated deliveries. Yeni would be a very unlikely candidate for a couple’s last embryo when there’s no telling if she has a history of miscarriages or whether she would deliver full term, or whether she would become attached or have psychological issues having never had a child before. Yeni agrees to be a surrogate after a short meeting while under pressure the whole time. She has no consultation with a doctor about the risks. It is also unclear whether she is compensated other than the room and board. Altruistic journeys happen between friends or family, not among strangers. Confinement in surrogacy is also a major red flag. In one scene, the family lawyer attempts to convince the doctor who will perform the IVF Procedure that she should do it even though surrogacy is illegal, it might eventually become legal in Mexico. She makes some inaccurate statements that surrogacy has a negative emotional impact on the surrogate and child. The intended parents have one embryo which splits into a boy and girl which is not scientifically possible. As a typical trope, the husband has an affair with Yeni, possibly impregnating her. This should not happen in gestational surrogacy arrangements. The family abandons one of the babies with Yeni. With regard to legal accuracy Yeni’s attorney (though she never actually retains him) is her dad’s criminal defense attorney who does not have her best interest at heart. In many states, the surrogate must have her own attorney of her choosing, ideally one who is a certified specialist of third-party reproduction law. The surrogacy contract appears to be just a two-page contract which Yeni has just a few minutes to review and sign it. Later, Yeni is repeatedly told that because she signed it, she is bound by the contract when it should be void as surrogacy is not yet legal in Mexico and apparently doesn’t give her the freedom to terminate the agreement . There is no confirmation of parentage through a court or administrative body, instead they do the old "baby swaperoo” whereby Julia pretends to deliver one of the children the day of the delivery. What about Surrogacy in Mexico today? Surrogacy in Mexico is somewhat a legal gray area. Previously, only the state of Tabasco recognized surrogacy. Recently, there has been an increase in commercial surrogacy in Mexico as apparently a Mexican Supreme Court decision legalized compensated surrogacy. Some Americans have been able to utilize surrogacy in states outside of Tabasco, however, if there is no law passed in the state of the Mexican surrogate, the surrogate may be listed as the mother on the birth certificate. To remove the surrogate and replace them with a spouse or partner on the child’s birth certificate, a stepparent adoption or confirmatory adoption will be needed in the United States, and this will require the consent and cooperation of the Mexican surrogate. Conclusion The Surrogacy, Netflix's latest Mexican drama, launched its 24 episodes of its first season on June 14, 2023. Given its popularity, many must find this a campy romp. But don't expect any kind of accuracy or insights as to surrogacy in Mexico or elsewhere. We just noted some of the inaccuracies in the first two episodes. Hopefully, viewers of The Surrogacy will know that outside the drama, surrogacy can be normal, ethical and not exploitative. If you want to learn more about surrogacy law follow us on our social media, subscribe to our blog and newsletter. If you are looking for an independent surrogacy lawyer for your surrogacy contract and want to avoid ending up like Yeni, contact us today.

Cindy Phan Paralegal Professional Experience ​ Cindy Phan earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science with a concentration in Political Theory from UC Santa Barbara. Cindy actively engaged in the legal field through a Pre-Law track, showcasing her leadership and graduating with honors. ​ Cindy holds a paralegal certificate from UCLA. ​ Education B.A. Philosophy at University of California, Santa Barbara B.A. Political Science at University of California, Santa Barbara Paralegal Certification at University of California, Los Angeles ​ Languages English Vietnamese ​

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WHO WE ARE Tsong Law Group has surrogacy lawyers, adoption, and egg donation and family law lawyers, licensed in California, Washington, New York, Arizona, Illinois and Oklahoma. Our Vision Our mission is to offer the most accessible and comprehensive services to our clients. We understand how strenuous navigating the legal institutions and the process in itself can be, allow us to help you facilitate your experience. If you need a surrogacy lawyer, an egg, sperm or embryo donation contract, help with an adoption, guardianship or other family law matter, we are there to guide you. Tsong Law Group, A.P.C. is prepared to help you minimize risks, seeking its clients satisfaction, while maintaining precision and professionalism throughout your experience. Meet The Team Get in Touch First Name Last Name Email Message Phone Thanks for submitting! Send Ralph M. Tsong Principal Attorney/Founder Cindy Phan Paralegal Anastasia Li Legal Assistant Mark Hirabayashi Of counsel Saya Japanese Client Support Rainie Fang Associate Attorney Jeremiah Acosta Legal Assistant Jessie Li Legal Assistant Sabrina Li Of Counsel Freya Emotional Support Dog Blog of the Week Ralph M. Tsong Sep 5 Legal Hacks: Use Legal Insurance for Your Surrogacy What exactly is legal insurance, and how can it help you in your surrogacy journey? Let’s break it down in simple terms. Recent Posts Legal Hacks: Use Legal Insurance for Your Surrogacy Ralph M. Tsong Sep 5 4 min Coffee Chat with Surrogacy Influencer Harmony Gourson Ralph M. Tsong Aug 22 6 min Parental Rights in Sperm Donation: Legally Blonde and Jason P. v. Danielle S. Ralph M. Tsong Aug 8 5 min 'The Man With 1000 Kids' Review Ralph M. Tsong Jul 25 3 min Egg Donor Insurance Coverage and Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses Ralph M. Tsong Jul 18 3 min Join our email list and get the latest updates and news about Embryo & Gamete Donation, Surrogacy and Family Law. CLICK HERE