Sally Nicholes

Sally Nicholes is the founder and Managing Partner of Nicholes Family Lawyers, bringing over 25 years of dedicated experience in family law. Since beginning her career in 1995, Sally has developed a reputation nationally and internationally for her expertise in complex family law matters. Her practice encompasses a broad range of family law issues, with a strong emphasis on international family law disputes and financial settlements that involve intricate property and asset divisions. Sally is particularly skilled in navigating cases that intersect with corporate and trust structures, financial restructuring, and the integration of succession and estate planning with corporate reorganisations, both within Australia and across borders. Sally works with a diverse client base including corporate, institutional, and private clients. She and her firm maintain a committed pro bono practice that supports clients locally and internationally. Her experience covers a wide spectrum of family law matters, including same-sex relationships, parenting and financial agreements, de facto cohabitation arrangements, and pre-nuptial agreements. In complex parenting matters, Sally manages multi-party disputes as well as high-conflict cases. She is experienced in child support issues, international child abduction proceedings, inter-country adoptions, and disputes concerning the relocation of children domestically and internationally. Her expertise extends to complex child welfare matters, including cases involving special medical procedures such as gender reassignment and body tissue donations. Sally is also adept in collaborative law processes, prioritising cooperative and constructive resolutions where possible. Her significant work in international child abduction was recognised by the United States National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and the Australian Federal Police, who awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation for her role in successfully locating an abducted child. Throughout her career, Sally has managed a broad portfolio of cases, ranging from out-of-court settlements in both financial and children’s matters to contested hearings and appeals. Her comprehensive experience and thoughtful approach equip her to effectively support clients through complex and sensitive family law challenges.