MOTHERHOOD IS NOW
A CHOICE
HAVING A CHILD WITHOUT A PARTNER
Around the world, 25-30% of families come from women who raise their children alone, either by choice or by necessity. Inevitably, therefore, social questions arise as to how normal such a pattern is, especially when it is deliberately created by the women’s own desire to raise a child without a father. According to the most recent surveys, the United States have the highest proportion of single-parent families with 34%, Canada 22%, Australia 20% and Denmark 19%. In developed countries where out-of-marriage births are on the rise (Sweden, USA, Canada, Canada, UK, France and except for Japan with only 1%), laws are particularly supportive towards women raising their child/children alone, with facilities in terms of education, employment and financial benefits.
Single parent by choice
Since the end of the 20th century, when single-parent families began to proliferate, it is believed that this is not necessarily a problematic model, but instead an evolution of the term “family” and a modern, alternative form of it. Whether divorced or because they had a baby outside of a marriage, nowadays women without a partner and recently gay couples have the option of a family, with assisted reproduction methods (IUI or IVF).
In some countries many men seek solutions like egg donation or surrogacy to have children (using a white marriage or cohabitation agreement with a female partner, in countries where such process is illegal), since “up until recently, adoption has been a solution for heterosexual couples to make their desire of having children and a family come true; yet it is a process not only complicated but also time consuming”, says Harun Sunda in his article on gayswithkids.com. Harun Sunda and his husband raise their two children resulting from egg donation and surrogacy. It is worth mentioning that according to a survey conducted in 2013, an estimated 16,000 same-sex couples are raising more than 22,000 adopted children in the United States.
Legislation in Greece
Greek legislation allows unmarried and single women to have a child by submitting only a notarial act. Current legislation does not provide anything for single men and same-sex couples.
Certificates to be submitted by a candidate mother who is unmarried and single:
- Official document (certificate) of identity issued in the country of origin.
- Declaration of submission to an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and/or artificial insemination (IUI).
- Notarial act certifying the submission to IVF/IUI (in relation to the acknowledgment of the child resulting from such process).
- Certificate of marital status, not older than three months.
- Statutory Declaration (signature certified as original) verifying that she is not married.
The candidate mother should submit all certificates as mentioned above, duly issued by a recognized official authority in the country of origin (Αpostille http://www.internationalapostille.com/what-is-an-apostille/), and translated into Greek. The translation of said documents may be carried out by our collaborators as part of the services provided by Μedimall ΙVF Clinic. Our legal advisor and associate notary public shall also undertake the processing of relevant documents at all stages of the procedure, before and after the notarial act.
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