My Parental Order is awarded

For my full journey to Dadness, read my Dad.Be blog here

and follow the story of me and Miles on Instagram @the_dadness

On Monday my parental order was granted by the courts, just under 5 months after I applied and a week after his 6 month birthday!

Team Squirrel had been excused from the hearing, not for Covid reasons but because I was told there were no conflicts or issues. Initially stumped by the idea of not being present I came to regard a parental order rubber stamped behind closed doors, as a simple administrative reordering of what should always have been. What more fitting tribute was there to a ridiculous legal process that saw the state originally assign my son a mother and father that were not his own. It had been a surreal experience in my application to the courts, stating my claim to my own son. That It would all right itself in the end without any fanfare felt entirely appropriate, even though I suppose a part of me missed having the ceremony.

Despite this however, of course I asked if I could attend. You know just in case the wrong box was ticked. The video call was brief and efficient. It started at 11:30am and we were done by 11.45am. Everyone was perfectly pleasant, the magistrate asked me about SUK, I was told the order was to be approved (I forget the exact language. I was so eagerly awaiting the words of confirmation I sort of missed them when they arrived) and then Miles and I were wished on our way.

All this would not have been possible without Surrogacy and the Spreadburys. Faye and Lee have truly changed my life forever. A huge thank you to them and all in the Surrogacy UK community who have lent support and helped us along the way. I was welcomed so warmly into this organisation. Looking forward to the day we can all meet face to face again and Miles can meet the friends I made along the way.