Having a child-it's one of the most momentous occasions in your life. As many people discover, however, it is not always easy to become a parent. A significant number of parents and would-be parents struggle with infertility and find themselves facing the often overwhelming challenge of deciding what to do next. Options include infertility treatments, using a surrogate, and adoption. In fact, adoption is an option for forming a family that many people choose even without experiencing infertility.

Making the decision about which course to pursue is just the first step. Once that choice has been made, pursuing each of these options is often fraught with legal, emotional, and financial implications. An attorney experienced in family law can help you determine how best to proceed and help ensure the desired outcome: having a child. Family law lawyers are knowledgeable about surrogacy contracts, adoptions, and other legal issues surrounding birth and parenting. Knowing you have a seasoned advocate on your side can give you the peace of mind you need to turn a stressful process into a joyous one.

Finally, the day comes, and you have your child! Now the real fun-and the real work-begins. One of the first major decisions you may have to make about your child's welfare is choosing a childcare provider. The tools that follow can help you through all of these various stages, from deciding how to become a family and implementing that decision, to taking care of the family when you return to work. Using these tools, you and your attorney can form a strong, informed, team that gets you where you want to be-Parenthood.