{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-161.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-161.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-161.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-161.html"}],"law_id":78021,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78021,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-161","catch_line":"Termination of court-approved surrogacy contract","history":"1991, c. 600; 2010, c. 712; 2019, c. 375.","full_text":"A\n\nSubsequent to an order entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160, but before the surrogate becomes pregnant through the use of assisted conception, the court for cause, or the surrogate, her spouse, if any, or the intended parent, for cause, may terminate the agreement by giving written notice of termination to all other parties and by filing notice of the termination with the court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall vacate the order entered under subsection B of § 20-160.B\n\nWithin 180 days after the last performance of any assisted conception, a surrogate who is also a genetic parent may terminate the agreement by filing written notice with the court. The court shall vacate the order entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160 upon finding, after notice to the parties to the agreement and a hearing, that the surrogate has voluntarily terminated the agreement and that she understands the effects of the termination.\n\t\t\tUnless otherwise provided in the contract as approved, the surrogate shall incur no liability to the intended parent for exercising her rights of termination pursuant to this section.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":279731,"text":"Subsequent to an order entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160, but before the surrogate becomes pregnant through the use of assisted conception, the court for cause, or the surrogate, her spouse, if any, or the intended parent, for cause, may terminate the agreement by giving written notice of termination to all other parties and by filing notice of the termination with the court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall vacate the order entered under subsection B of § 20-160.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":279732,"text":"Within 180 days after the last performance of any assisted conception, a surrogate who is also a genetic parent may terminate the agreement by filing written notice with the court. The court shall vacate the order entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160 upon finding, after notice to the parties to the agreement and a hearing, that the surrogate has voluntarily terminated the agreement and that she understands the effects of the termination.\n\t\t\tUnless otherwise provided in the contract as approved, the surrogate shall incur no liability to the intended parent for exercising her rights of termination pursuant to this section.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13295,"edition_id":1,"name":"Status of Children of Assisted Conception","identifier":"9","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:35","permalink":{"id":179423,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13295,"identifier":"9","token":"20\/9","url":"\/20\/9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":82276,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-156","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-156\/","token":"20\/9\/20-156","metadata":false},{"id":72814,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-157","catch_line":"Virginia law to control","url":"\/20-157\/","token":"20\/9\/20-157","metadata":false},{"id":64023,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-158","catch_line":"Parentage of child resulting from assisted conception","url":"\/20-158\/","token":"20\/9\/20-158","metadata":false},{"id":58977,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-159","catch_line":"Surrogacy contracts permissible","url":"\/20-159\/","token":"20\/9\/20-159","metadata":false},{"id":54684,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","url":"\/20-160\/","token":"20\/9\/20-160","metadata":false},{"id":78021,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-161","catch_line":"Termination of court-approved surrogacy contract","url":"\/20-161\/","token":"20\/9\/20-161","metadata":false},{"id":62248,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","url":"\/20-162\/","token":"20\/9\/20-162","metadata":false},{"id":72103,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-163","catch_line":"Miscellaneous provisions related to all surrogacy contracts","url":"\/20-163\/","token":"20\/9\/20-163","metadata":false},{"id":54285,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-164","catch_line":"Relation of parent and child","url":"\/20-164\/","token":"20\/9\/20-164","metadata":false},{"id":57273,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-165","catch_line":"Surrogate brokers prohibited; penalty; liability of surrogate brokers","url":"\/20-165\/","token":"20\/9\/20-165","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":54684,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","url":"\/20-160\/","token":"20\/9\/20-160","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":62248,"structure_id":13295,"section_number":"20-162","catch_line":"Contracts not approved by the court; requirements","url":"\/20-162\/","token":"20\/9\/20-162","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-161\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 600 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2010, chapter 712<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 375<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":64023,"section_number":"20-158","catch_line":"Parentage of child resulting from assisted conception","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-158\/"},{"id":54684,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-160\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":54684,"section_number":"20-160","catch_line":"Petition and hearing for court approval of surrogacy contract; requirements; orders","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-160\/"}],"permalink":{"id":179445,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78021,"identifier":"20-161","token":"20\/9\/20-161","url":"\/20-161\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-161\/","token":"20\/9\/20-161","dublin_core":{"Title":"Termination of court-approved surrogacy contract","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-161","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Subsequent to an order<\/span> entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160<\/a>, but before the surrogate<\/span> becomes pregnant through the use of assisted conception<\/span>, the court<\/span> for cause, or the surrogate<\/span>, her spouse, if any, or the intended parent<\/span>, for cause, may terminate the agreement by giving written notice of termination to all other parties and by filing notice of the termination with the court<\/span>. Upon receipt of the notice, the court<\/span> shall vacate the order<\/span> entered under subsection B of § 20-160<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Within 180 days after the last performance of any assisted conception<\/span>, a surrogate<\/span> who is also a genetic parent<\/span> may terminate the agreement by filing written notice with the court<\/span>. The court<\/span> shall vacate the order<\/span> entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160<\/a> upon finding<\/span>, after notice to the parties to the agreement and a hearing<\/span>, that the surrogate<\/span> has voluntarily terminated the agreement and that she understands the effects of the termination.\n\t\t\tUnless otherwise provided in the contract<\/span> as approved, the surrogate<\/span> shall incur no liability to the intended parent<\/span> for exercising her rights of termination pursuant to this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTERMINATION OF COURT-APPROVED SURROGACY CONTRACT (\u00a7 20-161)\n\nA. Subsequent to an order entered pursuant to subsection B of § 20-160, but\nbefore the surrogate becomes pregnant through the use of assisted conception,\nthe court for cause, or the surrogate, her spouse, if any, or the intended\nparent, for cause, may terminate the agreement by giving written notice of\ntermination to all other parties and by filing notice of the termination with\nthe court. Upon receipt of the notice, the court shall vacate the order entered\nunder subsection B of § 20-160.\n\nB. Within 180 days after the last performance of any assisted conception, a\nsurrogate who is also a genetic parent may terminate the agreement by filing\nwritten notice with the court. The court shall vacate the order entered pursuant\nto subsection B of § 20-160 upon finding, after notice to the parties to\nthe agreement and a hearing, that the surrogate has voluntarily terminated the\nagreement and that she understands the effects of the termination.\n\t\t\tUnless otherwise provided in the contract as approved, the surrogate shall\nincur no liability to the intended parent for exercising her rights of\ntermination pursuant to this section.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 600; 2010, c. 712; 2019, c. 375.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}