I’m often asked for my top advice for people that are just beginning the adoption journey. Here are my top 3 tips for hopeful adoptive parents.

Even though most people have a connection to adoption in some way or another, there are still many myths surrounding adoption. Check out this great video created by Brave Love that dispels many of those myths.

For the fifth consecutive year, Lauren Bates has been named a San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Star. Lauren is honored to receive this recognition once again and to be listed alongside so many incredible attorneys in San Diego.

Unfortunately, tax season is upon us. There are few federal tax benefits for for adoption, including a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses and an exclusion from income for employer-provided adoption assistance. In this post, I answer some frequently asked questions about the tax credit.

Lauren Bates is incredibly honored to be named a 2020 San Diego Super Lawyers Rising Star. Lauren has received this recognition each year since 2017.

The world feels scary right now as our lives are all being disrupted by the global coronavirus pandemic. However, adoptions are still happening. Babies are still being born; birth parents are still making the decision to place children for adoption. Only time will tell how this pandemic will fully impact adoptions. Based on the information I am seeing today, this post discusses some predictions of how this unprecedented pandemic might affect your adoption.

Adoption can be a difficult and lengthy process. The last thing an adoptive parent should have to deal with is an unsupportive employer during that process. Fortunately, a growing number of employers are providing adoption-related benefits, including reimbursement for adoption expenses and paid leave benefits comparable to those provided to biological parents.