We’re Building Families
Changing the culture of adoption and surrogacy to one that is inclusive, empowered and informed.
Founded in 2014, Building Families is the Columbia, South Carolina region’s only law firm focusing solely on adoption and surrogacy. Offering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, the firm helps individuals and couples to build their families through adoption and surrogacy, providing legal and agency services to clients across the state in all aspects of the adoption and surrogacy process.
Our Mission
Building Families’ mission is to meet the needs of our clients throughout their adoption and surrogacy journeys, walking them through each phase of the process step by step, while creating an environment of inclusion, where expectant mothers don’t feel ashamed and all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status, are supported and encouraged through their adoption or assisted reproduction journey.
Who we are,
what we believe
While open adoptions are not mandatory, Building Families believes in the importance of open adoptions with a triad-focused approach, ensuring that the expectant mother, child and adoptive parent(s) are connected and included throughout the entire journey. At Building Families, the birth mother is empowered and supported throughout the adoption process.
Our Team
Allison McNair
Attorney
Allison “Allie” McNair is Building Families’ adoption and assisted reproductive technology (ART) attorney.
Allie grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and has felt drawn to the adoption field from a young age. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Furman University and a Master of Theological Studies from Duke University.
Allie attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and quickly entered the legal field determined to work in the areas of adoption and surrogacy.
In 2014, she opened the doors of Building Families to provide an inclusive space for all clients while walking them through each phase of their adoption and surrogacy journeys.
Allie is a forward-thinker, ensuring Building Families stays informed on advances in medical technology, protocols, and ethical adoption and surrogacy arrangements, as well as changing laws in the area of adoption and surrogacy.
When she is not focused on work, Allie enjoys spending time with her husband (Cole), son, and two dogs. Little known fact about her is each and every night you can find Allie and Cole glued to the tennis channel after their son goes to bed!
Coleman McNair
Practice Manager
Coleman McNair, known by clients and friends as Cole, serves as the Surrogacy Program Director and Practice Manager at Building Families. He walks our Gestational Carriers and Intended Parents through each stage of the surrogacy process from contracts to establishing parentage. He oversees all business processes within the practice, providing responsive, personalized service to our clients.
Cole grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business and followed by the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Cole has always had a heart for children. His interest in families and their needs piqued in college when he volunteered with the Free Medical Clinic and the Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital, where he served on the hospital’s Volunteer Advisory Committee and oversaw the body’s funding support programs to better provide for the needs of pediatric patients and families.
During law school, his interest in helping families began to focus on their interactions with the court system. Cole served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for many years. During this time, he also trained lay guardians across Richland County and at UofSC’s law school. Cole helped found and chaired Richland County CASA’s Volunteer Advisory Committee, presenting at the national CASAS Conference in Chicago to teach organizations how to utilize volunteer input to improve processes.
Family is the center of Cole’s world and when he is not working he can be found with Allie and their son, or his mother (who also works at Building Families!).
Rebecca Foss
legal assistant
Rebecca Foss is originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina but has called Greenville, South Carolina her home for the past six years. Building Families has offices in Columbia and Greenville. Rebecca keeps things moving for us in Greenville! She is our legal assistant focusing primarily on our adoption cases.
Rebecca and her husband graduated from East Carolina University, and they are Pirates through and through. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Rebecca is also passionate about volunteering in the local community. She has been involved with the American Cancer Society for the last six years and served locally on the board of Moonlight and Magnolias and Shuck Cancer GVL.
Susan McNair
legal assistant
Susan McNair is a part-time legal assistant for Building Families and works with her son Cole on surrogacy matters.
Children and families have always been a priority in her life. She retired after twenty-eight years as a school librarian having worked in an elementary school, a high school, and the school that serves the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
After retiring, she wanted to continue working in a capacity that enriched the lives of others and joined her family at Building Families.
Susan received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Presbyterian College and Master’s and Specialist’s Degrees in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina College of Information and Communication.
Susan enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dog. She loves walking, gardening, traveling, needlework, and reading in her spare time.
Have questions?
We would love to answer any questions you might have about surrogacy or adoption.