Surrogate Payment Schedule in California: Milestones and Fund Handling

A surrogate payment schedule should tell the parties what is payable, when it becomes payable, what documentation is needed and who releases the funds. A compensation total alone does not answer those questions.

There is no universal monthly schedule to copy into every California journey. Use the signed agreements and the fund administrator’s instructions to understand the schedule for your own case.

Separate compensation, allowances and reimbursements

Ask for a schedule that lists each category individually. Base compensation, periodic allowances, expense reimbursements and conditional benefits can have different triggers and documentation requirements.

For each item, record the amount or calculation method, eligibility conditions, payment date, recipient and supporting documents. Discuss how the agreement handles a cancelled transfer, a pause, changes in treatment or the end of the arrangement. Do not infer those terms from another person’s journey.

Understand escrow and attorney trust accounts

California’s statutory fund-handling framework includes both an independent licensed, bonded escrow company and an attorney-maintained trust account as alternatives for client funds handled through a nonattorney surrogacy or donor facilitator. It also links disbursement to the applicable agreements. See Family Code section 7961 and the official enacted text of AB 1049.

Ask counsel to explain which provisions apply to your proposed arrangement. Ask the administrator who holds the account, who can authorize disbursements, how statements are supplied and how disagreements are handled. An agency’s coordination role should not be confused with the role of the person or company holding funds.

Put each milestone into a practical worksheet

The following is a discussion template, not a promised payment schedule:

Stage or payment category	Questions to resolve in the agreement and funding instructions
Initial account funding	What must be deposited, by whom and by which date?
Treatment-related expenses	What triggers eligibility, and which records are required?
Pregnancy compensation	What event starts payments, how are installments calculated, and when are they released?
Travel or other reimbursements	Is advance approval needed, and what receipts or limits apply?
Conditional benefits	Which defined circumstances trigger an additional amount?
Final accounting	What remains payable, and how are unused funds handled?

Do not enter assumed milestone dates. Have counsel and the administrator reconcile the worksheet with the actual documents.

Prevent avoidable payment confusion

Before a payment is due, check that required records have been submitted and that the responsible administrator has received them. Ask who communicates missing information and what process applies if an amount is disputed.

Intended parents should distinguish total expected expense from account funding deadlines. Surrogates should know whom to contact about a missing payment and how to view the relevant payment record. Keep personal financial information within the agreed communication channels.

Get the schedule explained before signing

Review compensation terms with independent counsel and funding instructions with the administrator. Request clarification when an agency summary, agreement and account instructions differ.

For Yunda’s general compensation information, see surrogate benefits. Yunda provides education and coordination support; this article does not promise a payment amount, replace an agreement or describe Yunda as an escrow company.