Russell Hawkins Family Law Group
Serving Calgary and Northeast Calgary communities
We provide our clients with top notch legal service
We are a friendly and hard working team of exceptional legal professionals with an outstanding reputation for providing efficient and cost effective legal work for our clients. We achieve the best outcome possible for our clients.
We are always up to date with the law and have access to the latest legal decisions, publications and articles. We also have a large computer database which keeps us extremely organized and ensures we don’t miss any important deadlines as well as provides us with the ability to complete research efficiently.
At Russell Hawkins Family Law Group, our team is open minded and uses a collaborative effort, pooling our legal resources and expertise to accurately manage each and every client file with the very best strategies.
We would be pleased to help you with your legal matter. Call us today – we can help you!
Russell Hawkins
Principal Partner & Founder
B.A., LL.B.
Biography
Russell Hawkins is the Principal Partner and founding visionary behind Russell Hawkins Family Law Group. With over two decades of dedicated courtroom and negotiation experience, Russell has established himself as one of Canada's foremost authorities on complex family law matters. His practice is built on a singular, unwavering philosophy: navigating family restructuring requires an equal balance of formidable legal strategy and deep, authentic human empathy.
Throughout his distinguished career, Russell has successfully guided thousands of clients through some of the most challenging transitions of their lives. He specializes in high-net-worth divorce assets, cross-border jurisdictional disputes, complex property division, and high-conflict parenting disputes. Known for his calm demeanor under pressure and his meticulous approach to litigation, Russell is a fierce advocate in the courtroom while remaining a constructive, solutions-oriented negotiator outside of it.
Areas of Expertise
- High-Net-Worth Divorce & Asset Protection: Strategic division of corporate holdings, family trusts, real estate portfolios, and hidden wealth evaluation.
- Complex Property Division: Navigating complex equalization claims, business valuations, and the division of matrimonial property under provincial statutes.
- Child Advocacy & Parenting Dynamics: Structuring sustainable decision-making frameworks, mobility/relocation applications, and high-conflict custody disputes.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Serving as a trusted counsel in domestic mediation, arbitration, and collaborative family law settings.
- Comprehensive Domestic Contracts: Drafting airtight pre-nuptial (cohabitation) agreements, post-nuptial agreements, and comprehensive separation contracts.
Professional Philosophy
"Family law is unique; it sits at the absolute intersection of commercial reality and profound personal transformation. Our mandate is not simply to win a legal dispute, but to carefully preserve our clients' financial integrity and parental structures so they can build a secure, confident future."
— Russell Hawkins
Our Team
Eileen Walker
Lisa French
Lisa attended Algonquin College for the Legal Assistant Program in Ottawa and has been working in the legal field for over 30 years. Lisa has worked in medical malpractice, criminal law, and mediation alongside some of the most prominent lawyers in our city. Lisa joined the firm of Russell Hawkins Family Law Group in April of 2022 and is currently assisting Russell Hawkins with his thriving Wills and Estates practice. Lisa enjoys spending time with family, friends and her 3 cats, cooking, travelling, hiking, live music and doing the Wordle.
Clarence Washington,
B.A. (Political Science)Clarence graduated from the Law Clerk program at Algonquin College in 2001 and the paralegal program at Herzing College in 2018. He has worked in Real Estate for most of his career and joined Russell Hawkins Family Law Group in March 2021. Clarence assists Russell Hawkins with his real estate practice. He is a single dad of two teenage boys. In his spare time, he enjoys watching TV, reading books, camping, and lying on a beach soaking up the sun.
“Russell is an outstanding family lawyer. My wife and I were thrilled with his ability to make complex legal concepts incredibly easy to understand. Thanks to his strategic recommendations, both my business and my family are now thoroughly protected. We were especially impressed by his team's unwavering commitment to providing extraordinary service!”
Philip Mankal Family Law Client