Sherri Shepherd, best known for her former role as a co-host on “The View,” entered into a surrogacy agreement last year along with her then-husband Lamar Sally. Within a few months of Shepherd’s egg being used in the surrogacy, the marriage between the two began to decline. The couple divorced.
Shepherd was taken to court by Sally, who wanted $4,100 in child support payments each month. Shepherd tried to get the surrogacy contract voided, as she did not want to be listed as the child’s birth mother on his birth certificate. The court found in favor of Sally. Shepherd appealed the ruling.
The superior court upheld the lower court’s ruling and now, Shepherd is appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to hear the case. While court filings show that the comedienne paid out over $100,000 to a surrogacy agency, she didn’t want to the contract or the baby after she divorced. Advocates for surrogacy rights said it is the first time that such a ruling has been made in Pennsylvania — upholding the surrogacy contract.
Divorce can bring out many emotions. When your divorce occurs in the media, it can make it more difficult. This is where the help of an experienced family law attorney comes in. He or she can work with you to develop a strategy for your divorce to help you meet your goals. You have rights and those rights should be protected. Understanding what you have a right to in terms of marital property is important, but so are matters like child custody, child support and alimony.
Source: NBC 10, “Actress Sherri Shepherd Appeals Surrogacy Ruling in Pennsylvania,” Jan. 13, 2016
