Starting A Family In The UK As A Same-Sex Couple
Last reviewed: July 2026.
If you’re thinking about starting a family, don’t let anything get in your way to create the life you want. Many different options are available for starting a family the way you want, no matter where you live.
As of July 2026, same-sex marriage is legal throughout the United Kingdom, though it was introduced at different times: in England and Wales in 2014, in Scotland in December 2014, and in Northern Ireland from 13 January 2020 (GOV.UK). It is also legal in the Crown Dependencies and in a number of the British Overseas Territories.
Same-Sex Paths to Parenthood
Here are some great options for a path that’s right for you and your spouse if you are planning to start a family in the UK.
Sperm Donor
The donor donation process is where sperm from a donor is put inside the woman who will carry the child. The donor can be known or anonymous, come from a donor bank or a trusted individual. The insemination process can be performed at home, at a fertility clinic, or naturally (sexual intercourse).
If you decide to look for donor insemination- you may want to consider the options of known or anonymous donors.
- Known: Whether through a friend, family member, or a service like Modamily, this lets your child know who their biological father is. With Modamily you can speak with the donor beforehand to see if they are the right fit.
- Through a UK-licensed clinic: Donors at UK-licensed clinics are not fully anonymous. As of July 2026, a donor-conceived person can apply to the HFEA at age 18 for identifying information about their donor; the first people conceived after the 2005 law change became eligible in October 2023 (HFEA: rules around releasing donor information). Identifying details are released to the donor-conceived person, not to the parents.
- Private arrangements: The level of contact in a private (non-clinic) arrangement is something the people involved agree between themselves. Because legal parenthood can be affected by how you conceive, it is important to understand the rules before you begin.
How legal parenthood works depends on your circumstances and how you conceive. As of July 2026, HFEA guidance explains that if you are not married or in a civil partnership and you conceive using donated sperm or embryos at a UK-licensed clinic, both partners must give the required consent for the non-birth partner to be a legal parent (HFEA: becoming the legal parents of your child). Where a non-birth parent does not acquire legal parenthood — for example, with a private home arrangement — they may need to apply to adopt or for a court order to obtain parental rights. Check the current guidance and consider legal advice for your situation.
Modamily’s Concierge service has over 3,000 known sperm donors around the world, not just the UK! By choosing to use our services, we can discuss a timeline and preferred criteria for your potential candidates. While known sperm donors receive no additional financial incentives, recipients are required to pay any medical, legal, and travel expenses. Depending on your preferences, you may choose to stay in touch with your donor. As the legal parent, you can customize the relationship that works best for you and your child.
Egg Donor
The egg donation process typically involves a doctor removing an egg or eggs from the donor, fertilizing them in a laboratory, and then transferring the resulting embryos into the recipient’s uterus. Doctors do this using an implantation procedure, such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Instead of using a single donor agency that only offers a few options, Modamily has relations with over 100 agencies nationwide. By scheduling a free consultation, we will use our services to eliminate the stress associated and help you make the best choice for your situation. With one of our plans, we will find you 20-30 complete egg donor profiles within 2-3 weeks. When you find a donor you like, we’ll reserve them and connect you with the agency that represents them.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is when a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for someone else. As of July 2026, surrogacy is legal in the UK, but a surrogacy agreement is not enforceable by law, and you cannot pay a surrogate other than their reasonable expenses; it is also a criminal offence to advertise that you are looking for a surrogate or willing to act as one. The surrogate is the child’s legal parent at birth, and legal parenthood is transferred to the intended parent(s) afterwards by a parental order or adoption (GOV.UK: surrogacy — legal rights of parents and surrogates).
Co-Parenting
Co-parenting can be when two or more people participate in parenting together. It can be romantic or platonic and can be made between two single people, a single person, and a couple or two couples altogether.
As a co-parent, you don’t have sole custody of the child, and making sure you have boundaries and rules set up is essential.
Adoption/ Fostering
In the UK, same-sex couples can adopt or foster a child together. You can apply for adoption through an agency or a local authority. You will have to complete a series of paperwork to start the adoption or fostering process.
Trans/ Non-Binary Parents
Trans or non-binary have the same exact rights as any other person to become a parent, including adoption, fostering, or a donor.
Modamily
Modamily is the go-to resource for information about co-parenting and sperm donor laws, fertility options, pregnancy health and well-being, and best practices recommendations on how best to responsibly embark on this journey.
Modamily provides a network where members can meet other like-minded people who dream of starting a family. There are many ways to become a parent, and what Modamily does is help our members find someone that wants to raise a child in a similar fashion as they do.
One of the capabilities of the site that sets us apart from other co-parenting and sperm donor sites is the Parenting and Lifestyle quiz, which helps members determine which candidates they could see themselves parenting with.
Furthermore, Modamily has recently launched Modamily Concierge, where our staff personally gets involved to guide members through their search process of finding either a co-parent, donor, and/or surrogate.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently and vary by jurisdiction. Consult a family-law attorney in your state or country before making decisions.
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