McCabe Russell Divorce and Child Custody Lawyers is a Maryland family law firm devoted entirely to divorce, custody, and the issues that surround them. Founded by co-managing partners Heather McCabe and Emily Russell, the firm has grown to ten attorneys serving families across Montgomery and Howard Counties from offices in Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Fulton.
The firm's practice is built on a belief that families are the bedrock of a healthy community and that how a divorce is handled shapes what comes after it. Their stated goal is to help clients find a better path toward a better future, with legal and emotional support through a process most people navigate only once.
A resolution-first practice with real trial capability. Many of the firm's attorneys are trained mediators, and both partners hold credentials that reflect a commitment to resolution outside the courtroom: Heather McCabe is a certified mediator, parenting coordinator, and collaborative divorce attorney, and Emily Russell is a trained collaborative divorce practitioner. Both are court-qualified Best Interest Attorneys in Maryland, appointed to represent children's interests in contested custody matters.
At the same time, the firm is candid that not every case settles. Emily Russell leads a litigation team with more than two decades of Maryland courtroom experience, and the firm describes its attorneys as assertive, confident negotiators and litigators. In practice, the two capacities reinforce each other negotiations tend to go better when the other side knows the case can be tried.
Services. Working with a Bethesda divorce lawyer at McCabe Russell, clients receive counsel across the full range of family law matters: divorce planning, negotiation, uncontested and high-conflict divorce, collaborative divorce, alimony, asset and property division, child custody, child support, order modifications, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic partnership agreements, mediation, parenting coordination, protective and peace orders, adoption, paternity, and guardianship. The firm has a longstanding practice serving LGBTQ+ clients, including same-sex divorce and parentage matters Heather McCabe is a past president of the Maryland LGBTQ Bar Association.
Bethesda and Montgomery County. The firm's Bethesda office serves clients throughout Montgomery County, where divorces frequently involve federal and government pensions, closely held businesses, professional practices, executive compensation, and significant real estate. A Bethesda family law attorney at the firm will address those valuation questions early, before positions harden around numbers no one has verified.
Recognition. The firm's attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Avvo, and Bethesda Magazine, and have received pro bono service honors from the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association. Heather McCabe was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to the Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission for Howard County in 2023.
The firm's practice is built on a belief that families are the bedrock of a healthy community and that how a divorce is handled shapes what comes after it. Their stated goal is to help clients find a better path toward a better future, with legal and emotional support through a process most people navigate only once.
A resolution-first practice with real trial capability. Many of the firm's attorneys are trained mediators, and both partners hold credentials that reflect a commitment to resolution outside the courtroom: Heather McCabe is a certified mediator, parenting coordinator, and collaborative divorce attorney, and Emily Russell is a trained collaborative divorce practitioner. Both are court-qualified Best Interest Attorneys in Maryland, appointed to represent children's interests in contested custody matters.
At the same time, the firm is candid that not every case settles. Emily Russell leads a litigation team with more than two decades of Maryland courtroom experience, and the firm describes its attorneys as assertive, confident negotiators and litigators. In practice, the two capacities reinforce each other negotiations tend to go better when the other side knows the case can be tried.
Services. Working with a Bethesda divorce lawyer at McCabe Russell, clients receive counsel across the full range of family law matters: divorce planning, negotiation, uncontested and high-conflict divorce, collaborative divorce, alimony, asset and property division, child custody, child support, order modifications, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic partnership agreements, mediation, parenting coordination, protective and peace orders, adoption, paternity, and guardianship. The firm has a longstanding practice serving LGBTQ+ clients, including same-sex divorce and parentage matters Heather McCabe is a past president of the Maryland LGBTQ Bar Association.
Bethesda and Montgomery County. The firm's Bethesda office serves clients throughout Montgomery County, where divorces frequently involve federal and government pensions, closely held businesses, professional practices, executive compensation, and significant real estate. A Bethesda family law attorney at the firm will address those valuation questions early, before positions harden around numbers no one has verified.
Recognition. The firm's attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Avvo, and Bethesda Magazine, and have received pro bono service honors from the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association. Heather McCabe was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to the Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission for Howard County in 2023.
Served areas
- Montgomery County, Howard County, Bethesda, Columbia, Rockville, Fulton, Maryland
Highlights and features
- Guiding clients through every stage of divorce and family law matters.
- Experienced representation in child custody, support, and protective order cases.
- Serving Howard and Montgomery Counties through multiple Maryland office locations.
- Skilled negotiators and litigators focused on achieving favorable client outcomes.
- Comprehensive legal support for LGBTQ+ families across Maryland communities.
- Court-qualified Best Interest Attorneys advocating for children's welfare in Maryland.
Services
Overview of McCabe Russell's full Bethesda practice: divorce planning and negotiation, custody and support, alimony, asset division, prenuptial agreements, protective orders, adoption, paternity, and parenting coordination. The firm represents high-asset professionals and couples with limited income alike, pairing emotional support with practical financial protection because, as they put it, anger and hurt will not pay the bills. 
Spousal support in Maryland isn't a formula it's an argument. Whether you're seeking temporary support to stay afloat during the case, rehabilitative support while you rebuild earning power, or indefinite support after a long marriage, the outcome turns on how well your circumstances are presented to the court. Our attorneys know which factors move judges and how to document them. 
The house. The pension. The business you helped build but never had your name on. Dividing a marital estate in Montgomery County starts with knowing what's actually on the table and Maryland's equitable distribution standard means fair, not necessarily half. Get the valuations right the first time, before positions harden around numbers nobody has verified. 
Most Bethesda divorces settle. The ones that settle well are the ones where somebody did the preparation early. From mutual consent filings to six-month separations, from mediation and collaborative divorce to a courtroom when it comes to that, our attorneys help you choose the path that fits your family and prepare as though the other one might still happen. 
No parent should have to guess what their week with their child will look like a year from now. We help Bethesda families build custody arrangements that hold up who decides about school and medical care, where the children sleep, and how two households stay coordinated. Calm, firm advocacy, from attorneys the courts themselves appoint to represent children's interests. 
Guidelines produce a number. They don't always produce the right one. Childcare, health premiums, special needs, shared overnights, and support already being paid can all move the figure significantly in either direction. Whether you're establishing an order, seeking a modification after a job change, or trying to collect what you're owed, the details deserve real attention. People
Heather McCabe
Co-Managing Partner
Emily Russell
Co-Managing Partner
Reviews (7)
Sara Cortes
Jun 15, 2025
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Alicia Mallory
Jun 04, 2025
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After an extensive search for a firm that could help with a family matter, I discovered McCabe Russell.
I worked with Heather McCabe, Jeff Evans and Team who did an outstanding job representing me. They are a competent and responsive team who kept me well informed throughout the entire process. I highly recommend this firm!
I worked with Heather McCabe, Jeff Evans and Team who did an outstanding job representing me. They are a competent and responsive team who kept me well informed throughout the entire process. I highly recommend this firm!
Dawn Leigh Hedrick
May 26, 2024
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L. P.
Mar 30, 2024
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Adrianne Roa
Feb 15, 2022
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I was represented by Hilary, and could not have felt more confident. She had a plan and presented all the options and was incredible throughout the entire process. Nothing in my life has ever been this important for me, and I was consistently impressed with the intelligence, credibility and support, of Hilary. My case was an emergency situation yet was rescheduled 3 times, but each time, Hilary adjusted her schedule to make herself available. Literally, Hilary and the team at McCabe Russel were 100% of everything that I needed in a time of true crisis. See less
Christopher Olson
Feb 14, 2018
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Melanie Otto
Feb 03, 2018
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My experience working with McCabe and Russell exceeded all my expectations. The entire firm was a pleasure to work with. All of my needs and concerns were met with compassion and impeccable professionalism. During a very trying time in my life I felt I had the absolute best representation. If I could give 10 stars I absolutely would.