§ 124 — Proceedings regarding parental rights, status or obligations

§ 124. Proceedings regarding parental rights, status or obligations.\nIn any action or proceeding involving a purported genetic surrogacy\nparenting agreement, the parentage of the child will be determined based\non the laws of New York state and:\n 1. the court shall not consider the genetic surrogate's participation\nin a genetic surrogate parenting agreement as adverse to their parental\nrights, status, or obligations; and\n 2. the court, having regard to the circumstances of the case and of\nthe respective parties including the parties' relative ability to pay\nsuch fees and expenses, in its discretion and in the interests of\njustice, may award to either party reasonable and actual counsel fees\nand legal expenses incurred in connection with such action or\nproceeding. Such award may be made in the order or judgment by which the\nparticular action or proceeding is finally determined, or by one or more\norders from time to time before the final order or judgment, or by both\nsuch order or orders and the final order or judgment; provided, however,\nthat in any dispute involving a genetic surrogate who has executed a\nvalid surrender or consent to the adoption, nothing in this section\nshall empower a court to make any award that it would not otherwise be\nempowered to direct.\n