Australian Family and Fertility Law

Stephen Page
  • 0.0 (0)
  • RELATIONSHIPS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Join Award-Winning Family & Surrogacy Lawyers, Bruce Provan and Stephen Page who interviews lawyers, doctors, counsellors, parents, surrogates, scientists, donors and others who are the moving parts bringing together the ability to form families through surrogacy, and when families fall apart. Interviewees talk about their personal journeys through life, leading to their passion in their respective fields.

  1. 2D AGO

    Shocking Surrogacy Numbers: What Australia Isn't Telling You

    Send a text What do the numbers really tell us about surrogacy in Australia? Stephen Page, Director at Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers, reveals some eye-opening statistics from the Law Council of Australia's recent surrogacy conference that raise serious questions about citizenship, statelessness, and why Australia's surrogacy rate is double that of New Zealand.  In this episode of the Australian Family & Fertility Law Podcast, Stephen breaks down data from the Australian Law Reform Commission showing that dozens of children born through overseas surrogacy may have been denied Australian citizenship—potentially rendering them stateless. He also examines surprising comparative data showing Australia has twice the per capita surrogacy birth rate of New Zealand and explores possible reasons behind this significant difference.  📌 Key Topics Covered:  ✅ 761 children acquired Australian citizenship through surrogacy in 2024  ✅ 15-40 children each year may be denied citizenship or have applications withdrawn  ✅ Why some surrogacy-born children become stateless  ✅ Identity verification issues with Department of Home Affairs  ✅ Australia vs New Zealand surrogacy rates: a shocking comparison  ✅ Why Australia has double the per capita surrogacy births  ✅ Possible factors: IVF subsidies, cultural practices, migration patterns, and publicity  ✅ Insights from the Law Council surrogacy conference  💼 Need expert fertility law advice? Visit Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers: https://pageprovan.com.au/ Understanding citizenship and legal parentage is critical when pursuing international surrogacy. If you're considering surrogacy—whether in Australia or overseas—get proper legal advice to ensure your child won't face citizenship or identity issues down the track. 👍 If you found this episode helpful, leave us a review — it helps other families find the podcast when they need it most.   #SurrogacyAustralia #AustralianCitizenship #InternationalSurrogacy #FertilityLaw #SurrogacyStatistics #CitizenshipIssues #ParentageOrders #OverseasSurrogacy #AustralianLaw #FertilityLawyer #SurrogacyLegal #IntendedParents #FamilyLawAustralia #SurrogacyRights #LegalAdvice #AustralianFamilyLaw #SurrogacyJourney #CitizenshipByDescent #IVFAustralia #SurrogacySupport Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    6 min

  2. 5D AGO

    3 Countries You Should Never Use for Surrogacy

    Send a text Which countries should you absolutely avoid for international surrogacy? Stephen Page, Director at Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers, breaks down Israel's groundbreaking "naughty list" approach to protecting intended parents and surrogates from exploitation. In this episode of the Australian Family & Fertility Law Podcast, Stephen discusses Israel's decision to blacklist three specific countries for surrogacy—Albania, North Cyprus, and Kenya—and why this targeted approach may be more effective than blanket bans. Learn about the serious concerns around surrogate exploitation, trafficking risks, and lack of legal protections in these jurisdictions, and why Israel now refuses citizenship to children born through surrogacy in these locations. 📌 Key Topics Covered:  ✅ Israel's three-country surrogacy blacklist explained  ✅ Why Albania, North Cyprus, and Kenya made the list  ✅ Concerns about surrogate exploitation and trafficking  ✅ The problem with unregulated commercial surrogacy  ✅ North Cyprus surrogacy risks (Lloyd v Compton case insights)  ✅ Kenya's proposed ban on commercial surrogacy  ✅ Why targeted country lists work better than blanket bans  ✅ Australia's approach to overseas commercial surrogacy 💼 Need expert fertility law advice? Visit Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers: https://pageprovan.com.au/  International surrogacy carries significant legal, ethical, and practical risks. Before considering any overseas surrogacy arrangement, understand the laws in both the destination country and Australia, and ensure you're protecting both yourself and the surrogate from exploitation.  👍 If you found this episode helpful, leave us a review — it helps other families find the show when they need it most. Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    4 min

  3. MAR 11

    Self-Represented Litigant in Family Court Australia: What You NEED to Know First

    Send a text Thinking about representing yourself in family court but unsure where to start? In this episode of the Page Provan Australian Family and Fertility Law Podcast, Managing Director Bruce Provan breaks down everything you need to know about self-representation in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Bruce explains the rise of self-represented litigants, the option of unbundled legal services where you handle some tasks while a lawyer assists with others, and the critical protections available under Section 102NA for parties in domestic violence cases. Whether cost is a factor or you're simply weighing your options, this episode provides practical guidance on when to represent yourself, when to seek legal help, and how to navigate the family law system strategically. 📌 Key Topics Covered:  ✅ Why self-representation is becoming more common in family court  ✅ Unbundled legal services: Getting help only where you need it  ✅Section 102NA explained: Free legal representation at final hearings  ✅ Special protections in domestic violence cases  ✅ How to reduce legal costs while protecting your interests  ✅Strategic advice for different stages of your case  ✅When you should absolutely get legal advice (even if self-representing) 💼 Need expert family law advice? Visit Page Provan Family & Fertility Lawyers: https://pageprovan.com.au/ Self-representation can work for some people, but understanding your rights, the court process, and available support is essential. Don't go into family court proceedings without at least initial legal advice to ensure you're making informed decisions. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to the Page Provan Australian Family and Fertility Law Podcast for expert insights! 💬 Have questions about self-representation? Leave a comment—we read every one! ⭐ Rate and review if you found this episode helpful! Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    5 min

  4. MAR 6

    Surrogacy Reform Wishlist: What Australia Needs to Change

    Send a text For every child born through surrogacy in Australia, four are born overseas. And it's not because Australians want to leave—it's because our laws are forcing them out. Stephen Page of Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers has spent 15 years fighting for reform. A decade ago, a House of Representatives committee recommended urgent national change. A decade later? Australia still has eight different surrogacy laws, discriminatory Medicare exclusions, and women who won't volunteer to be surrogates because they're the only ones not paid. This is Stephen's comprehensive wishlist for how Australian surrogacy law must change—and why the Australian Law Reform Commission's 2026 final report could finally fix it. 🔑 In this podcast, you'll discover: ·       Why Australia's patchwork of eight different state laws is costing families thousands in unnecessary legal fees and delays ·       How Tasmania's absurd requirement that everyone live in Tasmania has families tearing apart ·       The "dead rat in the wall": Medicare excludes surrogacy benefits while covering every other fertility treatment (costing just $1 million to fix) ·       Why surrogacy arrangements must be legally binding contracts—like they are in Canada and the US ·       How "limping parentage" leaves children vulnerable when surrogates appear on birth certificates but aren't the genetic mother ·       Stephen's fight for automatic parentage recognition at birth—and the hospital nightmare that proved why it matters ·       The critical role human rights discourse must play in every surrogacy journey ·       Why decriminalisation matters: these laws haven't prosecuted anyone in 20 years, yet they terrify intended parents into going overseas From access and consistency to autonomy and international recognition—this is the roadmap for reform. 📌 Read Stephen's full 100+ page submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission: 🔗 https://www.pageprovan.com.au 👉 Subscribe for updates as the ALRC's final report approaches in July 2026  💬 Which reform would make the biggest difference? Let us know in the comments. Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    10 min

  5. MAR 5

    Can Children Born Through Surrogacy Have Secure Parentage Worldwide?

    Send a text Somewhere right now, a child born through international surrogacy doesn't know who their legal parents are—and no international law exists to protect them. Here's why that matters. For over a decade, Stephen Page of Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers has been fighting for international reform. In 2011, he was invited to lead a global effort to create a Hague Convention on international surrogacy—and what he discovered shocked him: children born through surrogacy across borders face a legal nightmare of inconsistent recognition, "limping parentage," and stateless uncertainty. The problem? Europe sees the surrogate as the legal mother. America recognises the intended parents. And the rest of the world is caught in between—with no global standard to protect the child's identity and security. 🔑 In this podcast, you'll uncover: Why a child's parentage can literally disappear depending on which country they're born in ·       How the California Supreme Court solved this 30 years ago—but the rest of the world hasn't caught up ·       The dangerous gap between European and American approaches to parentage rights ·       Why Stephen's proposed international convention stalled (and the cultural clash preventing progress) ·       How the UN's approach to "eradicate" surrogacy would trample on reproductive rights and LGBTQIA+ freedoms ·       Why prioritising the child's secure parentage must come before all other reforms The shocking reality: Children are already born. The law can't erase that. It can only recognise it—or fail them. This is about more than legal paperwork. It's about a child's fundamental right to identity, security, and a stable family. 📌 For more on surrogacy law and human rights: 🔗 https://www.pageprovan.com.au 👉 Subscribe for weekly insights on international family and fertility law reform  💬 What reform would you prioritise? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    10 min

  6. MAR 3

    Why Australia Needs a Human Rights Act

    Send a text Australia is the ONLY Western democracy without a national human rights act—so why are courts overseas protecting reproductive freedom while we're falling behind? While Canada, the US, the UK, and New Zealand have all enshrined human rights protections in law, Australia remains the odd one out. And the stakes? They're higher than you think—especially when it comes to IVF, surrogacy, and your right to start a family. In this episode of the Australian Family and Fertility Law Podcast, Stephen Page of Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers reveals why this legal gap matters, drawing on real cases and landmark international rulings that Australia needs to learn from. 🔑 In this podcast, you'll discover: Why a Queensland prisoner's fight to freeze her eggs exposes the dangers of Australia's legal framework How courts in Mexico, Colombia, and Europe are protecting surrogacy access—while Australia lags behind The shocking case from India where everyone lost: the surrogate exploited, the intended parents exploited, the child with no honest explanation of how they came into existence What the Inter-American Court of Human Rights says about the right to access surrogacy How Stephen Page convinced South Australia to embed human rights protections into the Surrogacy Act 2019 (and why other states still haven't caught up) Why common law isn't enough—parliament can override it anytime This isn't just legal theory. It's about protecting everyone involved in the surrogacy journey: the surrogate, the intended parents, and the child. 📌 For more on human rights and surrogacy law: 🔗 https://www.pageprovan.com.au 👉 Subscribe for weekly insights on Australian and international family and fertility law 💬 What's your take? Should Australia have a national human rights act? Drop your thoughts below. Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    8 min

  7. FEB 27

    Is Surrogacy a Human Right?

    Send a text Is surrogacy a fundamental human right? From landmark Supreme Court rulings to stateless children caught between borders — the intersection of human rights and surrogacy law is more complex (and more urgent) than you might think. In this episode of the Australian Family and Fertility Law Podcast, Stephen Page of Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers breaks down the key human rights at stake in surrogacy — including the right to procreate, the right to access assisted reproductive treatment (ART), the rights of the surrogate, and the child's right to identity. Stephen examines groundbreaking decisions from the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court, and the Supreme Courts of Mexico and Colombia that are shaping surrogacy law worldwide. 🔑 In this podcast, you'll learn: Why the right to reproduce has been recognised as a fundamental human right since WWII How courts in Mexico defended surrogacy access for same-sex and international couples What protections the Mexican Supreme Court now requires for surrogates How a child was left stateless after a Colombian surrogacy — and what the court did about it The growing tension between European and American approaches to parentage 📌 For the full list of human rights related to surrogacy, visit Stephen's website: 🔗 https://www.pageprovan.com.au 👉 Subscribe for weekly insights on Australian and international family and fertility law! 💬 Have a surrogacy question? Drop it in the comments below. 📧 Contact Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers: 🔗 https://www.pageprovan.com.au 📍 Brisbane, Australia Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    19 min

  8. FEB 4

    How I Became a Fertility and Surrogacy Lawyer

    Send a text In this episode, Stephen Page shares his professional journey into surrogacy and fertility law — a career that has spanned almost four decades and more than 2,100 surrogacy journeys. Following on from his personal fertility story, Stephen explains how lived experience, early family law work, advocacy for LGBTQ+ families, and a deep commitment to human rights shaped his path into one of the most complex and evolving areas of law. This is a story about: 📜 How Stephen’s first surrogacy case in 1988 changed everything ⚖️ Practising during a time when all forms of surrogacy were criminalised 🌈 Supporting LGBTQ+ families long before the law caught up 🌍 Advising on international and cross-border surrogacy arrangements 🧬 Working across all areas of fertility law, including donation and IVF regulation 🏛️ Influencing law reform and government policy across Australia 🏅 Receiving national and international recognition for advocacy and leadership 👶 Why the human rights of the child must always come first Stephen also reflects on the challenges of fragmented IVF regulation in Australia, the importance of bodily autonomy for surrogates, and why surrogacy law must balance the rights of surrogates, intended parents, partners, and—above all—children. This episode offers insight for: 👩‍⚖️ lawyers and health professionals 🤍 intended parents and surrogates 🌈 LGBTQ+ families 📚 anyone interested in how law, ethics, and family creation intersect 🎧 Part of the Australian Family & Fertility Law Podcast Made by Law Firm Marketing Experts, Practice Proof

    23 min
See All (177)

About

Join Award-Winning Family & Surrogacy Lawyers, Bruce Provan and Stephen Page who interviews lawyers, doctors, counsellors, parents, surrogates, scientists, donors and others who are the moving parts bringing together the ability to form families through surrogacy, and when families fall apart. Interviewees talk about their personal journeys through life, leading to their passion in their respective fields.

Information

You Might Also Like