Everyone has the right to be:

• recognized as the decision-maker in a healthcare encounter,

• supported by healthcare providers through medical care decision-making and the process of informed consent and refusal, and

• treated equally, regardless of skin tone, gender presentation, age, or any other quality that may cause a healthcare provider to manifest unconscious bias in the provision of care.

Unfortunately, women’s rights to informed consent and freedom from discrimination are violated in labor and delivery wards on a casual basis. The effects of these violations on a patient include trauma, increased unnecessary medical risks, injury, and even death. It can be challenging for women to find legal representation to pursue accountability for rights’ violations during childbirth. 

Hayes Klein Law understands these issues and is committed to protecting your rights. Hermine is one of the first attorneys to advocate for women’s fundamental human rights to autonomy, informed consent, and freedom from discrimination during pregnancy and childbirth. She has spent years meeting stakeholders from maternity care systems worldwide, following legal cases, and consulting with women about their personal experiences of human rights violations during childbirth. 

If you or your child suffered injury from the violation of your rights during childbirth in the last two years, we may be able to help you pursue accountability for your mistreatment and its impact on you and your family. 

Are you pregnant or considering becoming pregnant and want to make sure that you have optimal support and your rights are respected when you give birth? 

Hayes-Klein Law can help you communicate with your providers during pregnancy in advance of childbirth to ensure that your rights are respected during labor and birth. We can help you utilize a birth plan and other tools to make sure your providers are committed to supporting you and your individualized needs and decisions and to build trust through prenatal conversations. 

We provide women and birthing people, their partners, and doulas with a clear understanding of the law, and offer counsel in how to navigate challenging discussions with doctors about medical decisions, so that providers feel confident in supporting their patients choices.