Your surrogate's free and informed consent is the heart of a Parental Order — and in international cases, the two forms that record it (C52 and A101A) carry the strictest practical requirements in the whole process. Most of the genuinely stressful stories we hear trace back to these forms being handled late or in the wrong order.
What the two forms do
Form C52 is the acknowledgement of service — your surrogate confirms she has received the application and states whether she consents or wishes to oppose. Form A101A is the formal agreement to the making of the order, signed before a witness; in international cases the witnessing notary also completes part of the form. They travel together: same signer, usually the same appointment.
The 6-week rule is absolute
Consent given less than six weeks after the birth has no legal effect. This is statutory, not procedural — a form signed at five weeks doesn't get corrected, it gets done again. Use the waiting period well: prepare both forms, arrange the certified translation, and book the notary appointment so everything is ready the moment week six arrives.
The court doesn't contact your surrogate — you do
A common misconception from domestic UK cases: families assume the court serves the forms on the surrogate. In international arrangements it does not. You (usually via your in-country legal team) prepare the forms with her details, arrange for her to review them in a language she understands, and coordinate the signing. Build this into your in-country plan, not your after-you're-home plan.
Translation and notarisation — where returns happen
Two quality bars to clear: a certified translation into your surrogate's language, faithful to the original including field labels, so the court can see her consent was informed; and notarisation in a format acceptable for UK proceedings. Translation and notarisation defects are among the most common reasons consent documents cause problems — use professionals who have handled UK Parental Order documentation before, and check the executed documents carefully against the originals before they go anywhere near the bundle.
Sign before you fly — seriously
The single most important practical rule: get both forms signed, in both languages, notarised, before you leave the birth country. Doing it remotely afterwards means international couriers, re-booking notaries, coordinating a new mother's availability across time zones — slow, expensive, and with a hard deadline ticking in the background. Families who plan the week-six signing as part of their exit checklist barely notice this step; families who don't often describe it as the worst month of the process.
A realistic sequence
Prepare both forms during pregnancy → book translator and notary for week six → baby arrives, register the birth → week six: surrogate reviews translated forms, signs both versions before the notary (who completes their part of A101A) → you check the executed documents carefully → they join your court bundle alongside the C51.
PO Navigator walks through every field of C52 and A101A, with timing checklists and in-country directories of notaries and certified translators experienced with UK Parental Order work. Guidance only, not legal advice — if anything about consent in your case is unusual, it's worth confirming with a qualified solicitor.