Meet Heather Hansen
“I always wanted to be a lawyer. I also knew I wanted to spend my days in a courtroom. I spent my first-year summer in law school working at McKenzie Lake LLP in London, Ontario (near where I grew up). One of my first assignments was being a note-taker on a family law trial. That was all it took to convince me that family law was what I wanted to practice. I was very lucky to spend my second summer and articling year at Epstein Cole LLP in Toronto. I learned from some of the most talented family lawyers in the country, including Martha McCarthy, who fast became my mentor and dear friend.
I joined Martha when she founded Martha McCarthy & Company, which years later became McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP.
Today, I practice alongside my many partners and an amazing team of dedicated, smart and fun colleagues. I believe I have the best job in the world”.
Martha (L) and Heather (R)
Heather Hansen is a partner at McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP. She is a Certified Specialist (C.S.) in Family Law by the Law Society of Ontario, a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Heather represents and advises clients on all issues related to divorce, spousal and child support, division of property, separation agreements, domestic/marriage contracts, religious marriage contracts, parenting issues, child protection, and cross-border/international family law issues (including Hague Convention matters).
A significant portion of her work involves advising high net worth clients. Heather frequently works closely with family office advisors, corporate counsel, valuators, tax advisors and accountants at the complex intersection of family law and business. Heather has significant trial experience and appears at all levels of court across Ontario. She also represents clients in complex negotiations, mediation and arbitration proceedings.
She is a frequent speaker at continuing education sessions and conferences and for several years taught trial advocacy at the University of Toronto (Faculty of Law). Heather also regularly provides media commentary on current issues in family law.
Heather has also authored or co-authored a number of articles and book chapters on topics ranging from evidence in family law, to estates and trust matters.
In addition to an active pro-bono practice involving child related matters, Heather also represents children in domestic and child protection matters as a member of the panel for the Ontario Government’s Office of the Children’s Lawyer and is a participant member of the Crown Wardship No-Access Pilot Project and the Child Advocacy Project.
Heather is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Family Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association, The Advocates’ Society, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law where she was the recipient of a number of academic awards and prizes. She lives in Toronto with her fellow-lawyer husband Nils Engelstad, two children, and a menagerie of pets including a big loveable rescue dog named Lisa.
A commitment to continuing education in the profession.
Moderator (2022) “Tips from the Bench and the Trench, Judicial Roundtable” Recent and Advanced Issues in Child and Spousal Support
Keynote (2022) “Family Law Issues for the High Net Worth Financial Planner” Canada Life Insurance Guest Speaker
Chapter Co-Author (2022) “Collateral Consequences” Sentencing: Principles and Practices, eds. Robitaille & Winocur
Speaker (2022) “Challenging an Arbitral Award” Arbitration for Family Lawyers, Osgoode CPD
Speaker (2022) “Caselaw update 2022” Spring Symposium, Advocates’ Society
Speaker (2022) “Second Chair not Second Fiddle” Advocates Society
Speaker (2022) “Valuation issues in complex property cases” 11th Annual Recent Developments and Complex Issues in Property and Equalization Osgoode CPD
Keynote (2022) “Family Law for Financial Planers” Advocis Financial Annual Conference
Co-Chair (2021) Advocates’ Society “Conduct of the Family Law Trial”
Speaker (2021) Osgoode CPD “Mastering the Motion to Change”
Co-Chair (2021) LSO “Managing High Risk Cases in Family and Criminal Law”
Speaker (2021) OBA Institute: Serving the Family “Dealing with Family Business Issues on Separation”
Speaker (2021) Advocates’ Society “Digital Evidence for Litigators”
Speaker (2021) LSO Professional Development Family Law Summit “Everything You Wanted to Know About Evidence: The New Rules of Expert Evidence and more”
Speaker (2021) Advocates’ Society “Tech Hacks for Litigators”
Speaker (2020) OBA E-Discovery Institute “eDiscovery and Digital Evidence Considerations for Small Files”
Speaker (2020) Sudbury 2020 Colloquium, Advocacy Panel
Speaker (2020) Advocates’ Society “Your Family Law Practice and COVID-19: What You Need to Know Right Now”
Faculty (2019/2020) Osgoode Certificate in Family Law Skills and Practice
Speaker (2019 – November) “Relying Upon and Rebutting the Expert” 9th Annual Advanced Issues in Child and Spousal Support, Osgoode Hall Professional Development
Speaker (2019 – November) “Electronic Hearings – How to Ditch the Binders and Run Paperless Hearings” Ontario Digital Evidence & eDiscovery Institute, Ontario Bar Association
Speaker (2019 – October) “Evidence for Litigators: Annual Update” Advocates’ Society
Speaker (2019 – September) “Practice Gems: Essentials of the Privately Held Company 2019” Law Society of Ontario
Demonstrator (2019 – September) “Evidence and the Internet – Using Social Media Evidence in Court” North Toronto Family Court Education Program.
Speaker (2019 – May) “Tips from the Bench for Litigators” Law Society of Ontario
Demonstrator (2019 – May) “ADR Skills for Family Lawyers: The Effective Mediation” The Advocates’ Society
Speaker (2019 – April) “YASC Fireside Chat” Featured Guest Speaker, The Advocates Society
Speaker (2019 – April) “Negotiation Strategies for Litigators: Tips and Traps” The Advocates’ Society
Speaker (2019 – April) “Expert Evidence” The Family Law Seminar, Hamilton Law Association
Speaker (2019 - April) “Finding your Hook: How to Develop a Winning Case” The Advocates Society
Speaker (2019) “Cross-Examination: Strategies for Success” The Advocates Society
Speaker (2019) “Evidence in Family Law Proceedings” Osgoode Hall Professional Development
Speaker (2018) “Putting Theory into Practice: Exercising Professionalism and Civility” Advocates’ Society
Co-Chair and Speaker (2018) “Conduct of the Family Law Trial” Advocates’ Society and Law Society of Ontario Joint Program
Speaker (2018) “Ontario e-Discovery Institute 2018 Program” Advocates’ Society
Speaker (2018) “Advanced Issues in Child and Spousal Support” Osgoode Hall Professional Development
Co-Author with Jonathan Robinson “E-Evidence in Family Law” paper prepared and presented at the 12th Annual Family Law Summit.
Speaker (2018) 12th Annual Family Law Summit, Law Society of Ontario “Evidence in Family Law”
Speaker (2018) The Advocates’ Society “A Practical Guide to Electronic Trials and Arbitrations”
Speaker (2018) The Advocates’ Society “Costs Submissions: An Overview of Costs in Ontario”
Speaker (2018) North Toronto Family Court Education Program “Mobility/Hague and Jurisdiction issues”
Speaker (2017) The Advocates’ Society “Courthouse of the Future Symposium: Technology in the Courtroom”
Speaker (2017) Law Society of Upper Canada “Twelve-Minute Civil Litigator: Working with Self-Represented Litigants”
Co-Chair (2017) Law Society of Upper Canada “Conducting a Paperless Hearing in Family Law”
Co-Chair (2017) Law Society of Upper Canada “Managing High Risk Cases in Family and Criminal Law”
Co-Chair (2017) Osgoode Professional Development “The Complete Guide to Managing a Family Law Litigation File”
Speaker (2016) Law Society of Upper Canada, 19th Annual Estates and Trusts Summit, "Update on Family Law"
Panellist (2016) Kingston and the 1000 Island Legal Conference “Effective Use of Summary Judgment Motions in Employment, Civil and Family Law Cases”
Panellist (2016) Advocates’ Society “Leading Your Case: Opening Statements and Examination in Chief”
Panellist (2016) Advocates' Society "Costs Submissions Advocacy – An Overview of Costs in Ontario"
Panellist (2015) Osgoode Professional Development, Osgoode Hall Law School "Ethics in Family Law: Dealing with Self-Represented Litigants"
Speaker (2015) Advocates’ Society “Conducting an Electronic Trial”
Panellist (2015) Pricewaterhouse Cooper “Women in Business”
Panellist (2015) Advocates’ Society Panel Breakfast Near Tiffany’s “The Client: Pearls of Wisdom for Successful Relationships and Representation
Workshop Facilitator (2015) Advocates Society Civil Trials Symposium
Speaker (2014) Advocates’ Society Fall Convention
Speaker (2014) Osgoode Professional Development, Osgoode Hall Law School “Understanding the Anatomy of a Family Law Case” (Pending, October 2014)
Panellist Advocates’ Society Practice Management Essentials: Managing Your Way to Trial Success (2014)
Co-Chair LSUC Webinar (2014) “Identifying and managing High Risk Cases in Criminal and Family Law”
Guest Speaker Osgoode Hall LLM (2014) Arbitration in Family Law
Guest Speaker Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (2014) Professional Women Speakers series
“Great Expectations” Advocates Journal (Spring, 2013)
“Why Conduct Still Matters” Presenter at the Six Minute Family Law Lawyer, Law Society of Upper Canada (2012)
Co-Author, Martha McCarthy Evidence in Charter Litigation chapter in Evidence in Family Law (Published by Canada Law Book) (2010)
Co-Author in annual publication Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario of chapter titled, Family Law Issues in Estate Litigation, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Canada Law Book edited by Justice Bonnie Croll and Melanie Yach
Co-Author, Martha McCarthy “Are Common Law Spouses and Same Sex Spouses Treated Differently from Married Spouses in Practice? Should they be? Paper for Ontario Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Conference, October 19, 2007, “Constructive and Resulting Trusts 2007: Bringing Order to Chaos”
Co-Author, Brian Burke “Divorce Application Do’s and Don’ts: Uncontested and joint Divorce Applications (2007) paper for Law Society of Upper Canada Continuing Legal Education Program “Practice Gems: How to Obtain a Divorce Judgment”
Co-Author, Martha McCarthy (2007, 2008) “Supreme Court of Canada Watch”, paper for Law Society of Upper Canada Continuing Legal Education Program “Six Minute Family Law Lawyer