Stewart is a leading voice in family formation law, advising on surrogacy, adoption, donor‐conception and co‐parenting agreements with a focus on clarity, dignity, and children’s best interests. His practice brings together technical expertise and lived experience, giving families practical, compassionate guidance through complex legal processes.
In 2015, Stewart and his partner became New Zealand’s first same‐sex de facto couple granted the right to jointly adopt – an historic Family Court ruling that opened the door for other couples to form legal parenthood through adoption.
Beyond his own family’s journey, Stewart has helped shape precedent in this area, including achieving recognition that two mothers can be named on a child’s birth certificate in certain assisted‐reproduction contexts – ensuring the law reflects modern family realities. Stewart’s commitment to inclusive, community‐centred education shows up in his work preparing resources and events that support rainbow families as they plan and parent, making pathways and paperwork easier to understand.
Sperm donor and parentage agreements record the legal relationships and expectations between donors, recipients, and resulting children. Drawing on Stewart’s experience presenting and advising in this area, we can prepare agreements tailored to your circumstances.
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Some procedures arranged through a New Zealand fertility clinic require approval from ECART (the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology). The application typically requires a legal report addressing the parties’ understanding of the legal consequences, and we can prepare this report for you.
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Stewart brings both personal and professional experience to adoption matters. He has acted for clients in traditional and intercountry adoption, and can advise on the right pathway for your circumstances and prepare the required applications.
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Stewart was appointed by the Law Commission as Expert Legal Advisor on its review of New Zealand surrogacy law. He and his partner are also parents to three children through surrogacy, giving him a personal as well as professional understanding of the process. We advise clients on both domestic and international surrogacy arrangements and prepare the agreements required.
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