About

Chris Macturk

Founding Attorney

An accomplished Richmond divorce and family lawyer, Chris Macturk wanted to change how he priced his services in a way that offered a closer, transparent, and unfettered working relationship with his clients. Often hearing complaints about the uncertainties and anxieties presented by hourly billing, he decided to change his business model and open a firm offering Pre-Agreed Pricing. Evolution was born.

Chris has guided hundreds of individuals through separations, divorces and disputes over children and support. A Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), Chris is also past President of both the Henrico County Bar Association and the Metro Richmond Family Law Bar Association. He is an active member of the Domestic Relations Section of the Virginia Bar Association and the City of Richmond Bar Association, having recently served as the chairperson of its Pro Bono Committee. Chris has also participated in many seminars and written a number of articles about family law.

Chris met his wife, Cynthia, while they both attended the University of Richmond. They have three sons and spend much of their time at Tuckahoe Little League – Go, Go Tuckahoe!

Rebecca Zimmerman

Associate Attorney

Educate. Build trust. Move forward.

It’s a clear and simple approach that Rebecca Zimmerman takes to serving divorce and family law clients as they face often challenging roads ahead. “It’s important for me to listen, understand each person’s circumstances, and provide them with options so they can move forward in a positive direction,” she says. “My goal is to make sure you feel at ease and to help you make a decision as to where you want to go next.”

Rebecca joined Evolution in 2019. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she dual-majored in in English and history. She earned a law degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Catholic University Law Review. Prior to law school, Rebecca worked as a litigation paralegal at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC, serving large corporate clients and offering support to attorneys in multi-week trials.

Working in family law has given Rebecca the chance to positively impact people’s daily, personal lives. During law school, she completed internships at Children’s Law Center, the Columbus Community Legal Services Families and the Law Clinic (FALC), and in the Arlington County Circuit Court judge’s chambers. Rebecca dedicated more than 300 hours to pro bono legal projects, including providing free tax-preparation services for indigent D.C. residents. She is a recipient of the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference’s Significant Service Award, recognizing attorneys who have demonstrated outstanding service to the legal profession and community.

A Hanover County native, Rebecca, her husband, young son, and two dogs moved back to the Richmond area in 2018 after a decade in D.C. and Northern Virginia. There, she practiced family law at Nichols Zauzig Sandler, following a judicial clerkship in the Prince William County Circuit Court with the Hon. Richard B. Potter (ret.). “Moving back to the Richmond area has been a wonderful opportunity to re-discover the city from a new perspective as a parent and as an adult,” Rebecca says.

“I will always do my very best to help clients negotiate an agreement to resolve issues outside of court when it makes sense for their situation. This allows clients to have a say in the ultimate resolution of their case without the stress, anxiety and added cost that often accompanies litigation. I also encourage clients – and really, anyone going through difficult family struggles — to ensure they have a support system in place: Friends. Family members. A therapist. I’m here to educate you, give you legal guidance and chart a path forward. But having a support system is also essential to getting you through.”

Makiba Jackson

Associate Attorney

Makiba Jackson originally worked inside the claims departments of insurance companies, collaborating closely with attorneys as they settled a variety of cases. “More and more, as I watched them do their jobs, I picked up an interest in legal work,” she recalls.

Already earning an MBA from Rutgers University, she decided to pursue a legal career and earned her J.D. at the University of Richmond School of Law. After overseeing corporate discovery for a technology and legal services firm, she sought a practice where she could help people in need — and get more face-to-face time with clients. She focused on family law, and later met the Evolution team. Today, she helps family law clients with a range of needs, including divorce, separation agreements, and child custody disputes.

“In family law, there is an opportunity to help people and families. If possible, even with a divorce, the process doesn’t always have to be adversarial, and you can find a way to make it as friendly as possible — especially when kids are involved,” she says.

“I like to think that I provide people an opportunity to set themselves up for a better future.”

She was drawn to Evolution, in part, by our firm’s pre-agreed pricing approach. “It takes the friction away between you and the client,” she says. “We aren’t charging by the hour, and there is an understanding that we are hired for the job and will do our best to help them achieve what we were hired to do.”

Makiba is a member of the Hill Tucker Bar Association, one of the oldest historically African-American bar associations in Virginia. She is a world traveler, avid reader, and always-improving gardener.

Kaelyn Kessler

Legal Assistant

Kaelyn is the first voice you’ll hear when you call our firm, and the first face you’ll see when you walk in. Hers is a special role — the first impression — that sets the stage for every client’s relationship.

“Working in law, I’ve found, is the best way I can use my skills to help people and make a difference for those who are in a difficult situation,” says Kaelyn, who keeps our attorneys organized as she pursues a bachelor of science degree in paralegal studies from the University of Richmond.

As the firm’s legal assistant, Kaelyn is tasked with scheduling appointments, drafting documents, ensuring filing deadlines are met, and, for clients, helping quell anxiety and fear that most divorce and child custody clients feel.

From the first meeting with a person in need, “I want them to feel as though they had a huge weight lifted off their shoulders,” she says. That reassurance, she notes, is thanks in part to Evolution’s pre-agreed pricing model: a flat fee, not hourly rates. “For a client to come in and know how much they are going to pay for their case gives them huge peace of mind.”

Family law was the first course she took and sparked her interest in a legal profession. One former law professor, a 35-year-practicing attorney, noted her “ability to grasp complex legal concepts quickly, and then effectively convey them through her writing.”

“I’ve had the honor of being taught by amazing professors while pursuing my education in the legal field. I have huge respect for them, and aspire to emulate them as best I can,” she says. “I include [lead Evolution attorney] Chris Macturk in this, as he’s incredibly patient in explaining, instructing, and mentoring me in my position here.”

While technically a Richmond Spider, Kaelyn is a Ram at heart; she loves attending VCU men’s basketball games with friends. Along with spending time with her family, Kaelyn enjoys visiting Virginia wineries, listening to true crime podcasts, and taking in independent films (she’s never missed an Oscars broadcast).