Niki is a Senior Associate in the Family & Relationship Law group at Lander & Rogers.
Niki has experience in a broad range of matters, including property settlement, spousal maintenance, parenting, domestic violence and child support. Niki has a particular interest in complex property matters and has acted for individuals with net assets of between $10M to $160M, with wealth held in large corporate structures and business interests.
Niki enjoys working with clients to map out their big picture solution. She is resolution focused and provides realistic and pragmatic advice to her clients. Niki appreciates the toll that high conflict litigation can have on parties and is focused on resolving her clients' matters in a cost-effective and timely way.
Niki has been recognised as a ‘Family Law Rising Star’ for Queensland in Doyle's Guide in 2020 and 2023. She has previously been a committee member of the Family Law Practitioner's Association and provides pro bono legal advice at Caxton Legal Centre and Women's Legal Service.
Experience
Niki's experience includes:
- wealth protection through the drafting of pre and post nuptial financial agreements including agreements where parties' own assets in Australia and overseas, and wish to quarantine significant family enterprises or inheritances, or want to deal exclusively with a certain class of assets.
- advising high net wealth individuals, with assets between $10M to $160M, who have significant business interests, complex corporate structures, generational family wealth, assets in Australia and overseas and minority corporate interests involving third parties.
- advising clients in complex parenting matters involving criminal charges, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, a significant history of domestic violence, a narcissistic spouse, adverse family report recommendations and parental alienation.
- urgent recovery applications where a child has been withheld from their primary parent and cases involving the unilateral relocation of a child by a parent.
- court appearances in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia including appearing on behalf of clients in contested interim applications, directions hearings and at mentions.
- drafting court material, consent orders, financial agreements and child support agreements.
- dispute resolution including negotiating favourable settlements and attending mediation on behalf of clients.
Career highlights
Niki's career highlights include:
- acting for a business owner with net assets of $160M at a four day trial in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
- successful dismissal of the other party’s application to stay proceedings on the ground Australia was a clearly inappropriate forum, with a costs order made in favour of Niki's client.
- enforcing a judgment debt by obtaining an enforcement warrant for an officer to seize real property and orders for the appointment of a trustee for sale.
- obtaining orders for the change of residency of a child, where the other parent had made unfounded allegations of sexual abuse against Niki's client.
- a successful application for the urgent return of a child to Niki's client, where the other parent had unilaterally relocated interstate.
Niki has been recognised as a ‘Family Law Rising Star’ for Queensland in Doyle's Guide in 2020 and 2023. She has previously been a committee member of the Family Law Practitioner's Association and provides pro bono legal advice at Caxton Legal Centre and Women's Legal Service.