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Here at Thompson Dove, we’ve been fortunate to witness many, many adoption situations advance beautifully and smoothly. One complicated aspect of adoption is that it brings together a handful of complete strangers – often in painful or vulnerable seasons of life – and asks them to commit to moving forward in a forever kind of way. Sometimes this pans out easily, but often each party’s expectations and hopes will be unmet throughout each season.
I can absolutely understand that there is potentially no greater heartbreak to a perspective adoptive family than having an adoption opportunity not result in a child being placed with the family. Adoption is hard. Adoption is messy. Adoption is vulnerable. There are so many steps. So many times of hurry up and then waiting. There […]
Updated for 2024 deduction dollars: Now that 2025 is officially underway, it is time for families who finalized their adoptions in 2024 to take advantage of the 2024 Federal Adoption Tax Credit. Adoptive parents can find information about the Federal Adoption Tax Credit on the IRS website. This provision allows adopting parents to take a tax […]
Sometimes, I found myself in a position where clients or other people involved in a case would talk to me about their apprehension, frustration, or sadness surrounding the situation. I struggled with knowing “what to say.” I realized, though, that my response often mattered less than the fact that I was listening actively and attentively.
A question I am often asked is what sort of gift or token is appropriate to give to an expectant/birth parent when meeting for the first time or when saying a physical goodbye at the time of placement. Its such an emotional moment, such an important moment, and how on earth do you contain that […]
We had the pleasure of working with these two men as one pursued the adult adoption of the other. Their bond was obvious from the beginning and it brings us such joy to see this update four years later. Adult adoption is a beautiful option that gives legality and permanency to meaningful relationships. This is […]
Lauren Dove, our social worker, shares her experiences working in the field of surrogacy. When I began with the firm, my focus was solely on the adoption side, working with expectant mothers. It is a field I feel led and called to, to walk with someone potentially making such a monumental choice for their child. […]
Also called the “Putative Father Registry,” the Responsible Father Registry is a free database in which a man who has potentially fathered a child with a woman to whom he is not married can ensure that he receives notice of a possible adoption involving the child. The biological father can file before or after the […]
Mary Waldrop joined the firm in 2007, after working for twentyfour years as a paralegal in the area of personal injury law. She received a B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina-Upstate in 1982, and began her paralegal career shortly thereafter. You can read more of her professional bio here, but today […]
Vicki graduated from Spartanburg Methodist College in 1978 with an Associate’s Degree in Business and has worked with the JFT team as a paralegal and other various capacities since 2001. With over 30 years of experience in the legal field, Vicki continues to be a valuable asset to Thompson Dove Law Group! During her role […]
What is a favorite/most rewarding part of your job? Building Families and Saving Lives! Making a Difference. After a successful trial, I feel that is just what happens. Many of the families that we serve are foster families that have been involved in a very long, heartbreaking, and complicated case with the Department of Social […]