Sarah to Speak at the Growing Families Surrogacy & Donor Conception National Conference, Sydney 2026

Sarah Bevan is presenting at the Growing Families Surrogacy & Donor Conception National Conference, held in Sydney on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026. As an Accredited Family Law Specialist and President of Surrogacy Australia, Sarah’s session covers Australian surrogacy law and the questions intended parents most need clarity on before they begin their journey.

If you are thinking about surrogacy or donor conception, whether at home in Australia or overseas, this weekend is one of the best opportunities in the country to hear from the people who do this work every day. Several members of the SB Family Lawyers team will be there in person across the weekend, so please come and say hello and bring your questions.

About the Surrogacy & Donor Conception Conference

The Growing Families National Conference brings together IVF specialists, surrogacy agencies, lawyers, counsellors, and parents and surrogates who have been through the process. Across two days, the program is built around five core pillars of family building: in-depth knowledge of the journey, IVF fundamentals, surrogacy planning, building support networks, and real-life stories from those who have walked the path.

Date: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026, from 9.00am each day.

Venue: Sydney Masonic Centre, Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

Tickets: From $60, with morning and afternoon tea, lunch and drinks included, plus access to all sessions, panels and networking. Some tickets also include private one-on-one consultations with selected expert speakers.

Sarah Bevan’s session: Australian surrogacy law

On Day 1, Sarah will present a focused session on Australian surrogacy law, using real case studies to make a complex area of law clear and practical. It is one of the sessions where intended parents can finally get plain answers to the legal questions that tend to cause the most worry.

Sarah’s session looks at questions such as:

• How does parentage actually work after surrogacy, and how do you become the legal parents of your child?
• Does it make a difference whether the birth happens in Australia or overseas?
• Can your surrogate live in a different state from you?
• Does your surrogate need to be an Australian citizen?
• Can the IVF be carried out offshore, and what does that mean legally?

These are the issues that can quietly derail a journey if they are not understood early. Hearing them explained by an experienced family lawyer, with case studies to bring them to life, is exactly the kind of preparation that saves intended parents time, money and stress later on.

The surrogacy law questions worth understanding before you start

If you cannot make it to the conference, here is a plain-English overview of the themes Sarah’s session covers. This is general information only, and every family’s situation is different, so please treat it as a starting point rather than advice for your own circumstances.

Who are the legal parents after surrogacy?

In Australia, the woman who gives birth (and her partner, if she has one) are generally treated as the child’s legal parents at birth, even in a surrogacy arrangement. Intended parents usually need to take a further legal step after the birth to have parentage transferred to them. The exact process depends on the state or territory and on whether the arrangement was domestic or international. Getting the arrangement structured correctly from the outset is what makes that later step possible.

Does it matter if the baby is born in Australia or overseas?

Yes, it can make a significant difference. Domestic surrogacy and international surrogacy are governed by different rules, and the path to being recognised as your child’s legal parents, along with citizenship and travel arrangements for bringing a baby home, looks very different depending on where the birth takes place. Understanding this early helps you choose the pathway that suits your family and avoid surprises down the track.

Can my surrogate live in a different state, and does she need to be an Australian citizen?

Surrogacy in Australia is regulated at the state and territory level, so where you and your surrogate each live can affect which rules apply to your arrangement. Questions of residency and citizenship also matter. These are exactly the kinds of practical details that are easy to overlook and important to get right, which is why specialist legal advice early in the journey is so valuable.

Can we do IVF offshore?

Some intended parents consider carrying out part of the medical process overseas. Whether that is appropriate, and how it interacts with Australian law and your eventual parentage application, depends heavily on the specifics. This is one of the areas where a short conversation with an experienced surrogacy lawyer can prevent a costly misstep.

What else to expect across the weekend

Sarah is one of many respected voices on the program. Over the two days you can expect IVF and fertility sessions, country-specific panels covering surrogacy in the United States, Colombia, Mexico and Georgia, frank discussions with Australian surrogates and intended parents, counselling and emotional wellbeing sessions, and practical guidance on post-birth steps such as citizenship and passports. Fellow Australian family lawyer Stephen Page also presents on parental processes for Australians after overseas surrogacy.

Beyond the sessions, the value is in the room: the chance to meet providers, ask questions, and connect with people who understand the journey first-hand.

Who should attend

• Intended parents considering surrogacy or donor conception, at any stage of planning
• Singles and couples, including LGBTIQA+ families, exploring their family-building options
• People weighing up domestic versus international pathways
• Anyone who wants to understand the legal, medical and emotional sides of the journey in one place

How to register

Tickets start from $60 and are available through the Growing Families event page. You can read the full program, see the speaker line-up, and book your seat here: Growing Families Surrogacy & Donor Conception National Conference, Sydney 2026.

You can also view Sarah’s speaker profile on the Growing Families site: Sarah Bevan, expert speaker.

About Sarah Bevan

Sarah Bevan is the Principal of Sarah Bevan Family Lawyers and an Accredited Family Law Specialist with the Law Society of NSW. She is President of Surrogacy Australia, an accredited family law arbitrator and mediator, and was named Professional Service Provider of the Year in 2024. Sarah has acted in landmark surrogacy and parentage matters, including the first orders in New South Wales allowing a same-sex couple to be named as parents on a child’s birth certificate following a surrogacy arrangement. She is a regular speaker at Growing Families conferences and other national fertility law events.

Talk to a specialist surrogacy lawyer

Whether or not you can make it to the conference, our team is here to help you understand your options and start your journey on solid legal footing. To arrange a consultation, call 1300 007 235 or email mail@sbfamilylawyers.com.au.

This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Surrogacy law in Australia is complex and varies between states and territories. Please seek advice tailored to your own circumstances.