I have been receiving a number of emails asking me what immediate steps should be taken if you find yourself a victim of SurroGenesis or Michael Charles Holding Company. Preliminarily, my suggestions are
Contact an independent Reproductive Law attorney to discuss the status of your arrangement with your couple, surrogate or donor. If you are in the midst of a pregnancy, it will be necessary to address not only the financial terms but also issues such as medical insurance. Further, it will likely be necessary to have either an Addendum to your Surrogate/Donor Agreement prepared or, even more prudently, an entirely new Agreement. Contact an experienced litigator (or get a referral from your Reproductive Law attorney). Most attorneys who specialize in Reproductive Law are transactional attorneys and thus not the best equipped to deal with the litigation that will be necessary to try to secure redress for your damages. Further, please speak to your attorney about the viability of seeking an ex parte Temporary Restraining Order or Prejudgment Writ of Attachment. This procedure will freeze and thus preserve all of the assets of SurroGenesis, Michael Charles Company and Tonya Collins for the benefit of their victims. Additionally, it is my understanding that Tonya Collins relocated to Texas and moved the Michael Charles Company with her. As a result, there will likely be assets in Texas that can be frozen and a Texas attorney will need to be retained. Please contact me if you would like a referral to an attorney in Texas. Contact Sterling Johnson or the FBI directly to report your status as a victim of this fraud. Alternatively, your attorney can make the initial report. Do not panic. After contacting an attorney and the authorities, speak to the mental health professional assigned to your case. Sitting down with your couple, surrogate or donor to share your frustrations and anxieties as well as to plot out how you will move forward, is essential as it will be months before this mess even begins to sort itself out. Collect whatever documentation you have regarding your relationship with SurroGenesis and Michael Charles and provide it to your attorney. I would encourage you to print out and preserve everything from brochures to emails. If you have copies of ledgers from your trust account, please save those documents. Notify your fertility clinic that you have been victimized. Your physician needs to have this information available, particularly if you have a cycle about to commence. If you are in the midst of a pregnancy, please confirm that all premium payments are being made. Often times the agency or trust administrator will make the health insurance premium payments for the surrogate. In the case of egg donation, the agency is typically responsible for procuring the coverage. If you have just moved forward with a donor cycle, please make sure that the Egg Donor coverage was obtained because if the egg donor suffers any future complications, there may not be coverage in place.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are too many unknowns and variables at this moment to provide a more complete list of suggestions. However, for the time being, I believe this is a good starting point for those who have unfortunately been victimized. As more information becomes available, I will update you.
Related Posts:
- SurroGenesis & Michael Charles Company Update
- To The Victims Of SurroGenesis & Michael Charles Company
- Litigation Fund To Be Established For the Victims Of Michael Charles Financial & SurroGenesis
- More Information On SurroGenesis, Michael Charles & Tonya Collins
- Law Firms Engaged To Prosecute SurroGenesis/Michael Charles Defendants
- Private Forum Created For Victims of SurroGenesis & Michael Charles Company
- Benefit Auction For Victims of SurroGenesis & Michael Charles Financial Scandal To Begin May 1st!
- SurroGenesis & Michael Charles Complaint Filed Yesterday
- Michael Charles Financial Fabricated A Testimonial
- Benefit Auction For The Victims of SurroGenesis/Michael Charles Company Set For End Of April
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