Robins Naik

210-185 Somerset St. W.
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0J2
Phone (613) 701 1256
Fax (613) 800 4684

Phone (613) 701 1256

Robins Naik

AN OTTAWA-BASED LAW FIRM DEDICATED TO PROVIDING QUALITY ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION IN CRIMINAL, CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY LAW

PRACTICE AREAS

  • CRIMINAL DEFENCE
    • We defend clients charged with any offence under federal or provincial statute, including the Criminal Code of Canada, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, National Defence Act, Provincial Offences Act, and the Highway Traffic Act 
    • We protect our client’s rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which often results in the exclusion of evidence that has been illegally obtained by the police
    • We provide representation at bail hearings, pre-trial proceedings, trials, sentencing hearings and appeals 
    • We have experience representing clients who choose to have their matter proceed through the Mental Health Court, Drug Treatment Court, Indigenous Peoples Court 
  • YOUTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE
    • We defend Young Persons charged with offences under the Criminal Code of Canada, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Provincial Offences Act, and Highway Traffic Act  
    • We ensure that special rights accorded to young persons in the Youth Criminal Justice Act are respected
  • VICTIM & WITNESS ADVOCACY
    • We represent victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings to ensure that their rights are independently protected, and defend the confidentiality of their personal records 
    • We provide independent legal advice to witnesses summoned to testify at trials
  • CHILD PROTECTION
    • We represent clients involved with Children’s Aid Societies from the time of first contact with an Agency all the way through to file closure
    • We provide advice to clients who are working voluntarily with Children’s Aid Societies, including advice on Family Safety Network Meetings, Voluntary Service Agreements and Temporary Care Agreements
    • We represent clients in all court proceedings involving Children’s Aid Societies, including Applications for Supervision Orders, Interim Care Orders (formerly Society Wardship) and Extended Care Orders (formerly Crown Wardship) 
    • We represent clients in specialised Secure Treatment proceedings where a Children’s Aid Society or caregiver is seeking to have a child or youth placed in Secure Treatment 
    • We represent clients in Openness proceedings to ensure meaningful ongoing contact between our clients and a child, where that child is the subject of adoption proceedings
    • We represent clients in Proceedings before the Child and Family Services Review Board in challenging decisions made by Children’s Aid Societies
    • We represent family and community members who wish to present a plan to have a child placed in their care 
    • We represent foster parents who wish to have their voice heard in protection proceedings or in disputes with a Children’s Aid Society, where an Application to the Child and Family Services Board is required
    • We provide advisory services, policy development and training to organizations working with children and youth, such as school boards, foster parent associations, adoption agencies, group homes, community and sporting associations 
  • REPRESENTATION OF INDIGENOUS CLIENTS
    • We ensure that special rights and considerations accorded to Indigenous Peoples are respected in criminal and child welfare matters
    • We have experience representing clients who choose to have criminal matters proceed through the Indigenous Peoples Court
    • We have experience advising Bands and community based Indigenous organizations in their interactions with Children’s Aid Societies
    • We brought a Charter challenge to the definition of Indian and Native Person in Ontario’s child welfare law, as it failed to include all Indigenous Peoples
  • SECTION 3 COUNSEL
    • We represent clients pursuant to appointment as Section 3 counsel under the Substitute Decisions Act
  • FAMILY LAW
    • We represent clients on a broad range of family law issues including decision making, parenting time (formerly, custody and access), child support and spousal support 
    • We provide advice and representation in matters where partner violence is a concern requiring the urgent commencement of proceedings
    • We provide advice and representation in non-litigation aspects of family law, including drafting and finalization of separation agreements 
  • REPRESENTING CHILDREN
    • We are able represent children as Agent for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer (OCL) in family and child welfare matters
    • We provide Independent Legal Advice to children prior to finalization of adoption 
    • We represent children who wish to terminate their status as a Crown Ward 
  • PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
    • We represent and advise professionals in connection with complaints, investigations, disciplinary and quasi-criminal proceedings taken against them by their regulating bodies or under statute 
  • ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
    • We represent clients in Mediations, Family Group Conferences and Circles of Care in family and child protection matters 
    • We represent clients in non-judicial settlement conferences facilitated by Legal Aid Ontario
    • We provide independent legal advice for kin or non-parties who participate in various types of alternative dispute resolution
    • We advocate for restorative justice solutions for clients in criminal matters who are interested in participating in the Collaborative Justice Program
  • APPEALS
    • We have experience arguing appeals in criminal, disciplinary and child welfare matters 
    • We review trial decisions and jury charges for errors of law or fact and advise clients on likelihood of success on appeal
    • We draft thoroughly researched, comprehensive and persuasive facta for our clients and other counsel who may seek external assistance 
  • ADOPTION
    • Vasu Naik is the lawyer in our office who is licensed by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services as an Adoption Licensee in Ontario, facilitating private adoptions in Ontario.
    • We represent clients in step-parent and relative adoptions.

TEAM

  • Kristen Robins

    Kristen Robins is a founding partner of the firm. She practices in the areas of criminal defence, child protection and family law.

    Ms. Robins received her LL.B. from the University of Ottawa in 2008. She also achieved a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree, with Honours in Criminology in 2005. She is a member of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa (DCAO), the Women in Canadian Criminal Defence organization, and is a former vice-president of the Child Protection Defence Bar Association of Ottawa (CPDAO).

    Ms. Robins appears regularly before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice, and has also appeared before the Divisional Court. Ms. Robins is an experienced advocate in Child Protection Court and Criminal Court, including Youth Court, Mental Health Court, Indigenous Peoples’ Court, and Drug Treatment Court.

    Ms. Robins routinely provides legal advice and representation to people involved with child welfare agencies, including adoptive parents, foster parents, kin and birth parents. Ms. Robins has successfully argued for children to be returned to the care of their parents and has secured alternative placements for children when a return to their parents is not possible. When children are placed for adoption through child protection proceedings, Ms. Robins assists parents and other family members with securing contact with their children, known as Openness.

    Ms. Robins also advises and represents parents who may need to pursue Secure Treatment Applications for children with significant mental heath disorders.

    Ms. Robins represents clients involved in family law matters, primarily when the issues in dispute relate to parenting time and decision-making responsibility (formerly known as custody and access), and in situations where there has been domestic violence.

    Ms. Robins also represents adults and youth charged with a broad range of criminal offences. She has successfully defended clients charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving causing death, uttering threats, harassment, assaults, sexual assaults, thefts, robberies, murder, and various other offences. She also advises victims and witnesses involved in criminal matters, including where applications are brought to obtain a complainant’s personal records.

    In addition to having attended hundreds of court appearances on behalf of her clients, Ms. Robins has considerable experience assisting clients in achieving favourable outcomes via mediation and various other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

    Ms. Robins is a frequent speaker and lecturer to other lawyers on criminal and child protection law and related procedure. Ms. Robins also conducts speaking engagements in the community with a view to assisting individuals who are most effected by encounters with police and child welfare agencies.

    In addition to maintaining her own practice, Ms. Robins regularly mentors junior lawyers and law students.

    In 2017, Ms. Robins was awarded the inaugural Justice Heidi Levenson Polowin Award for excellence in child protection advocacy.

    [email protected]

  • Julia Hockin

    Julia Hockin is an associate lawyer practicing in the areas of family law and criminal defence.

    Ms Hockin was called to the Bar in 2023 after completing her articles at a boutique full-service firm, in Ottawa, focusing on family law, criminal law, and civil litigation.

    Ms Hockin received her law degree from the University of Ottawa in 2022. While in law school Ms Hockin volunteered with Innocence Canada and worked at the Legal Aid Clinic Community Education Division.

    Prior to attending law school, Ms Hockin completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph (with Honours) with a double major in Political Science and Criminal Justice and Public Policy.

    Ms Hockin has litigation experience having appeared in both the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice. Ms. Hockin also has experience with “Out of Court Solutions” including the drafting of domestic contracts and mediation.

    Ms Hockin understands that being involved in the Court system can be stressful, and costly, and takes pride in making her clients as comfortable as possible throughout the process.

    Ms Hockin is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the County of Carleton Law Association, Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa, and the Criminal Lawyers Association.

    When Ms Hockin is not at the office you can often find her spending time with friends, family, and her dog. She also enjoys spending time in the great outdoors and a good novel.

    [email protected]

  • Vasu Naik

    Vasu Naik is a founding partner of Robins Naik LLP. Ms. Naik practices in the areas of child protection and family law.

    Prior to founding Robins Naik LLP, Ms. Naik’s legal career, spanning two decades, has included serving as legal counsel with a child welfare agency, running a successful private practice, human rights litigation and many years of intellectual property rights litigation in various international jurisdictions.

    Ms. Naik appears regularly before the Superior Court of Justice in child protection where she has successfully represented parents, extended family members, foster parents, adoptive parents and children (on behalf of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer). Ms. Naik has assisted the Court in her role as Amicus Curie in complex child protection litigation. She has also had the opportunity to appear as counsel for Intervenors, Canadian Civil Liberties Association in the Ontario Court of Appeal relating to the privacy rights of caregivers and children involved with child welfare agencies. In family law matters she assists clients in cases involving decision making, parenting time (formerly, custody and access), restraining orders, separation agreements, adoption, and other related matters. Ms. Naik’s experience extends to advising and representing clients in appeal proceedings.

    As an Adoption Licensee Ms. Naik works with both birth parents and prospective adoptive parents toward making their adoption journeys a success. You can obtain more information about the process by connecting with her via email.

    Ms. Naik is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa, where she teaches the Trial Advocacy course. She is also a regular presenter on child protection law within the Ottawa legal community and often speaks to groups that are impacted by or could benefit from an understanding of child welfare law.

    Ms. Naik served for several years on the board of the Community Legal Services Ottawa Clinic. She has done work for community-based Indigenous organizations, women’s shelters and grass-root organizations serving marginalized communities in Ottawa. She has frequently provided pro-bono advice to particularly vulnerable clients, including those facing language barriers or seeking legal assistance through outreach programs.

    In 2015, Ms. Naik received the Carleton County Law Association Regional Senior Justice Award for making an outstanding contribution to the commu nity and the legal profession.

    Ms. Naik received her B.A LL.B. (Hons.) in 1998 from the National Law School of India University, where she was selected for the Madhu Bhasin Nobel Student University Award for Legal Services. She received her LL.M. in Human Rights and Intellectual Property Law in 2003, from Lund University, Sweden. She was called to Bar in Ontario in 2010.

    Ms. Naik is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the County of Carleton Law Association. She is a past president of the Ottawa Child Protection Defence Bar Association

    Ms. Naik is able to assist clients in several South Asian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, and Kannada. She also has a working knowledge of American Sign Language.

    [email protected]

CONTACT

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CONTACT
INFORMATION

185 Somerset St. W. Suite 210
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0J2
Get Directions

t (613) 701 1256
f (613) 800 4684

Google not found location by address.

CONTACT
INFORMATION

185 Somerset St. W. Suite 210
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0J2
Get Directions

t (613) 7011256
f (613) 800 4684

Copyright 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Robins Naik
Robins Naik