Terminology

A process where a woman, known as a surrogate, agrees to carry and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or persons.

Surrogacy without commercial reward or profit for the surrogate. Generally, an altruistic surrogacy arrangement can provide for the payment or reimbursement of the surrogate's reasonable costs of trying to become pregnant, being pregnant, giving birth and entering into the surrogacy agreement. States and territories have varied definitions of reasonable costs. Altruistic surrogacy is legal in Australia.

When a surrogate gets a financial profit, gain or reward for the surrogacy (paid for more than their reasonable costs). This is illegal in Australia. 

In commercial surrogacy arrangements there are also usually brokers who significantly profit, sometimes even more so than the surrogate.

A surrogacy arrangement where all parties are in Australia.

A surrogacy arrangement where the surrogate is outside of Australia and the child will come to Australia after they are born. The majority of international surrogacy arrangements are commercial.

A person who enters into a commercial surrogacy arrangement for a surrogate to carry a child on their behalf.

A person who enters into an altruistic surrogacy arrangement for a surrogate to carry a child on their behalf.

The contract between an intended or commissioning parent, or parents, and a surrogate (and sometimes the surrogate's partner) setting out the terms of the surrogacy. State and territory surrogacy law sets out requirements that must be met for surrogacy agreements in that state or territory.

See Recognition of parentage in Australia page.

See Recognition of parentage in Australia page.