Lauren M Barnhart

Lauren Barnhart grew up in Tacoma, Washington with her mom, three brothers and a village of aunts and uncles. Lauren learned at an early age that hard work and creative solutions can allow you to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Lauren realized early on that she would need to find her own way to pay for college, so by her senior year, she had secured a full-ride music scholarship to a four-year university, was the principal bassoonist in the Tacoma Youth Symphony and performed in Carnegie Hall.

Lauren entered law school with lofty ambitions of bringing international war criminals to justice, but soon realized that she felt the greatest reward serving individuals within her own community. Practicing family law allows Lauren the opportunity to help families navigate through what is arguably the most difficult time of their lives. When Lauren meets a client for the first time, she wants them to know above all else that their case matters to her, and that she can get them through to the other side. Lauren practices law with integrity and compassion and believes that when dealing with families, the best outcomes are not measured by winners and losers, rather equitable solutions and child-focused results. While Lauren does maintain a successful and active litigation practice, she will first try and explore all opportunities for settlement to avoid litigation. Coming from a modest background, Lauren truly appreciates the price tag, and her goal is always to reach the most equitable outcome, as expeditiously and efficiently as possible.

Lauren moved from Washington to Oregon in 2007 and has been living in Portland since shortly after graduating cum laude from Willamette University College of Law in 2012. Lauren began her legal career working with a solo practitioner at a small firm in NE Portland, then honed her legal skills working at a larger firm before landing at Posey Legal, PC where she has partnered with her longtime friend and colleague, Joanna Posey.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys camping, wine and beer tasting, playing modern and classic euro board games, and playing several musical instruments. While she likes to appease her Washington roots by pointing out that we were at one time one big Oregon Territory, she calls Portland her home. Lauren’s favorite thing about Portland is all the available outdoor activities. She loves that you can access the desert, the mountains, the coast or the river all with only an hour or two drive. Then when you get back, you can take advantage of Portland’s up-and-coming food scene with restaurants that cater to all cuisines, vast array of breweries and urban wineries, eco-conscious transportation, self-sufficient neighborhoods, and a lively alternative music scene.