Exhibit 99.1


                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                      HALLMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
         HALLMARK ANNOUNCES MARK J. MORRISON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

 FORT WORTH, Texas, (April 18, 2005)  -  Hallmark  Financial  Services,  Inc.
 today announced that effective April 18, 2005, Hallmark's Board of Directors
 has elected Mark J. Morrison, Executive Vice President  and  Chief Financial
 Officer, to the additional position of Chief Operating Officer.  In addition
 to his duties as Chief Financial Officer,  Mr. Morrison will  be responsible
 for  developing  and  implementing  strategies   for  broadening  Hallmark's
 business base.

 Mark E. Schwarz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company stated,
 "We are pleased to  have Mark Morrison bring  his  23  years  of  experience
 in  financial  management,  administration  and  strategic  planning  to the
 expanded role as  Chief Operating  Officer.  Mark  has  14  years experience
 in the property  and  casualty  insurance  industry and has made significant
 contributions to the Company in the period he has been with Hallmark."

 Mr. Morrison  joined  the  Company  on  March 22,  2004  as  Executive  Vice
 President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer,  responsible  for   managing  and
 executing all aspects of  the financial growth of  the Company.  He  came to
 the Company from Associates Insurance  Group in Dallas, Texas,  a subsidiary
 of  St. Paul Travelers,  where  he served  as President  since January 2001.
 Prior to that,  he served  as  Chief Financial Officer of  Associates  First
 Capital  Corporation's  insurance  operations,  which   included  Associates
 Insurance Group, Northland Insurance Group,  American Equity Insurance Group
 and Mendota Insurance Group.  Mr. Morrison began his professional  career in
 1982 in public accounting with Ernst & Young, LLP  in Indianapolis, Indiana,
 where he ended his tenure in 1991 as a Senior Manager  of Assurance Services
 serving the insurance practice.  Mr. Morrison holds  a CPA certification and
 a Bachelor of Science degree  in Business Accounting from Indiana University
 (Bloomington).


 Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. engages primarily in the sale  of property
 and casualty insurance products.  The Company's business  involves marketing
 and underwriting of non-standard personal automobile insurance  primarily in
 Texas, Arizona and New  Mexico, marketing commercial insurance  primarily in
 Texas,  New  Mexico,  Idaho,  Oregon  and  Washington,  third  party  claims
 administration,  and  other  insurance  related  services.  The  Company  is
 headquartered  in Fort Worth, Texas and  its common stock  is listed on  the
 American Stock Exchange under the symbol "HAF.EC".

 Forward-looking statements in this  Release are made  pursuant to the  "safe
 harbor" provisions  of  the  Private  Securities  Litigation  Act  of  1995.
 Investors are cautioned  that actual results  may differ  substantially from
 such forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements  involve  risks
 and uncertainties including, but not limited to, continued acceptance of the
 Company's products  and services  in the  marketplace, competitive  factors,
 interest rate  trends,  the  availability of  financing,  underwriting  loss
 experience and  other risks  detailed from  time to  time  in the  Company's
 periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                   For further information, please contact:
          Mark J. Morrison, Chief Operating Officer at 817.348.1600
                             www.hallmarkgrp.com