About Cheryl Appell

Since permanent adoption licences were introduced in legislation, Cheryl has been licensed by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services to place children for adoption in Ontario and to facilitate certain interjurisdictional placements. Cheryl advises international adoption agencies and prospective adoptive parents regarding the requirements of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Cheryl assists clients with the preparation of contracts for Assisted Reproductive Technology involving third parties such as egg or sperm donor or embryo donation agreements. Cheryl also has a traditional family law practice focused on the negotiation and drafting of domestic contracts.

Cheryl has been a member of a number of advisory committees and panels considering changes to adoption legislation and implementation issues and has made numerous presentations on legal and ethical issues in relation to adoption to lawyers, social workers, and adoption licensees/agencies. Cheryl has also been involved in the preparation of guidelines and training manuals for various professional groups whose work is touched by these issues.

Cheryl was a member of the Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption for the Province of Ontario, as well as co-chair of the Adoption Working Group of the said Panel. The report of the said Panel, entitled “Raising Expectations” was released in 2009.