Where Legal Excellence Meets the Heart of Family Formation.
Many people who turn to assisted reproductive technology (ART) arrive there after a long and emotional journey, that is often shaped by hope, loss, resilience, and careful reflection about how they want, or are able, to build their family. Whether you’re working with a sperm, egg, or embryo donor, or you just need the assistance of a gestational carrier/surrogate, or some combination of these options, the journey to parenthood through assisted reproductive technology involves complex legal processes in addition to important medical and emotional decisions, leaving intended parents to navigate an overwhelmingly unfamiliar and complex process while also trying to manage the emotional weight of a deeply personal journey.
An experienced and knowledgeable ART law attorney can bring much-needed structure, clarity, and security to this process. At Steven H. Snyder & Associates, our attorneys focus exclusively on ART law. Based out of the Twin Cities area, our firm works with intended parents, surrogates, and donors throughout Minnesota, across the United States, and around the world. We’re here to help you understand your rights and establish a clear and informed path forward. Through education and transparency, our team aims to equip you with knowledge and guidance every step of the way, so you have the confidence and comfort in knowing you have a strong legal foundation supporting the family you’re creating.
Our attorneys believe that education and knowledge are key to making an informed decision. Contact SHS & Associates to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced ART attorneys to discuss your journey.
ART presents many nuanced issues to intended parents and other participants in the process. It’s important to feel confident that your rights are being protected and the expectations of all parties involved are clear. Our attorneys at SHS & Associates guide intended parents, surrogates, and donors through all stages of the ART process with careful preparation and clear documentation. In keeping with our focus on building strong legal foundations so families can move forward with confidence and clarity, we’re proud to offer the following services to support our clients throughout their ART journey.
When intended parents work with a sperm donor, egg donor or embryo donor, all parties involved benefit from a carefully drafted donor agreement that clarifies their respective expectations and responsibilities. These agreements address important issues such as parental rights, financial arrangements, confidentiality, and the future use of genetic material. A clear contract helps prevent misunderstandings and establishes a shared understanding of how the arrangement will proceed.
A well-drafted surrogacy or gestational carrier agreement is the foundation for a successful surrogacy arrangement because it clearly defines the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of the parties involved. These types of contracts are incredibly nuanced and cannot and should not be treated like an ordinary legal contract. Surrogacy involves deeply personal, medical, and legal considerations, and without a comprehensive agreement in place, misunderstandings or disputes can arise at moments when clarity and understanding is most needed.
Establishing the intended parents’ legal parentage to their child born through assisted reproductive technology is often viewed as the grand finale of the ART journey. Even with a surrogacy contract in place that clearly outlines the intentions of the parties, legal parentage still has to be formally established through court procedures. Securing parentage through the appropriate court process ensures that your rights and responsibilities as parents are confirmed from the very beginning of your child’s life and legally recognized in other jurisdictions.
Families grown through surrogacy require additional preparations to protect the child and strengthen the legal security of the family unit for the long term. While the surrogacy process focuses on establishing parental rights at the time of a child’s birth, estate planning addresses longer-term considerations that can affect the family in the years ahead.
Learn more about the legal issues facing donors and parents.
We explain the steps you need to take to ensure your family is protected.
Our ART attorneys guide intended parents through every stage of this process to establish parentage in the safest and most secure way.
Learn more about the legal issues facing donors and parents.
We explain the steps you need to take to ensure your family is protected.
We have assisted many same-sex couples looking to start a family and protect their legal rights.
When Steven H. Snyder founded SHS & Associates in 2004, assisted reproductive technology law was still widely unknown with few regulations, limited guidelines, and almost no centralized resources for intended parents, surrogates, or donors to rely on. Many were left to navigate complex and deeply personal decisions without clear direction and when they needed legal guidance, it was often difficult to know where to turn.
As both an attorney and the owner of IARC Surrogacy, the country’s first surrogacy agency, Steve recognized that a growing number of people were in desperate need of third-party assistance to create their families, but a secure path to do so did not exist. He endeavored to create a thoughtful process that could address both the legal and human aspects of the process, while also establishing ethical standards to protect all of those involved, so he founded SHS & Associates. The firm’s purpose was so much more than merely seeking a particular end result, but to do so in a way that empowered its clients through education and transparency, so they can regain a sense of control in a journey that often asks you to surrender much of it.
Over the years as the field evolved, Steve dedicated his legal career to widespread education on ART law to bring security, structure, and strong ethical standards to ART arrangements. Through his legislative efforts, global speaking and education, and his own practice, Steve became an internationally known expert on ART law in the United States by helping to shape a more reliable and sound framework for families navigating third-party family building. His work emphasized dispute prevention through clear and thorough agreements and proactive legal planning that strive to protect all parties to move forward with greater confidence and mutual understanding.
Today, the firm’s work continues under the leadership of attorneys Taylor Rolf and Jenna Hanson, who carry forward the mission Steve established while continuing to advance the practice in their own ways. Inspired by the impact of ART law on people’s lives, they have dedicated their careers to helping families grow through third-party reproduction. Together, they build on the firm’s long-standing relationships with fertility clinics, agencies, insurers, and other legal professionals while continuing to provide compassionate, knowledgeable guidance to intended parents, surrogates, and donors around the world.
Owner and Managing Partner
Taylor is the owner and managing partner at Steven H. Snyder & Associates with a primary focus in Assisted Reproductive Technology Law, providing support and assistance to surrogates, donors, and intended parents in their family-building journeys. Taylor graduated cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 2016 and was admitted to practice law in the State of Minnesota in 2017.
Senior Attorney
Jenna is a senior attorney who focuses principally on Assisted Reproductive Technology Law. Having both adopted siblings and in-laws, she is passionate about helping people create their families and knows first-hand the beauty and happiness third-party family creation brings to all involved. She attended law school at the University of Minnesota, where she graduated cum laude.
Assisted reproductive technology has helped thousands of families all over the world to achieve the dream of parenthood. Whether you’re hoping to grow your family or wanting to help someone’s dream of having a child by serving as a donor or surrogate, it’s important to know you’re entering into the process with a clear understanding of your legal rights and responsibilities.
Our compassionate and knowledgeable attorneys at SHS & Associates are excited to support you as you embark on this journey. We’re proud to serve individuals and couples of all backgrounds, identities, and family structures by helping them understand their options and empowering them to make the decisions that are right for their families and their futures. Whether you live in the Twin Cities area, elsewhere in Minnesota, or anywhere in the U.S. or internationally, our ART attorneys are ready to help. Contact our office today to get started with a consultation. We’re excited to hear your story and share how we can walk with you on the exciting path to creating the family you desire.
