Why Choose Norton Law Group?
Specialist Family Law Experience. Strategic Advice. A Considered Way Forward.
Choosing a family lawyer is not simply about finding someone who understands the law. It is about finding a legal team with the experience to recognise what matters, the judgment to recommend the right strategy and the ability to guide you through decisions that may affect your children, finances, business and future.
Norton Law Group is an established specialist family law firm based in Sydney CBD. We advise clients on separation, divorce, complex parenting disputes, high-net-worth property settlements, international family law, child support, financial agreements, mediation and family law litigation.
What makes Norton Law Group different is the combination of experience within our senior team: Law Society Accredited Specialist leadership, extensive family law litigation experience, award-winning thought leadership and the strategic insight of a former Justice of the Family Court of Australia.
Whether your matter can be resolved through negotiation or requires strong court representation, we provide clear advice, realistic options and a strategy tailored to your circumstances.
A Sydney Family Law Firm with a Genuine Point of Difference
Many family law firms describe themselves as leading, specialist or expert. At Norton Law Group, our authority is supported by identifiable qualifications, professional experience and recognised contributions to family law.
Our senior team brings together:
- Franco Pomare, Senior Partner and Law Society Accredited Specialist in Family Law for 30 years;
- Gabriella Pomare, Partner, award-winning family lawyer, former Family Court judicial associate, author and media commentator; and
- the Hon. Louise Henderson, former Justice of the Family Court of Australia, family law mediator and strategic adviser.
This combination provides our clients with access to specialist legal knowledge, extensive litigation experience, contemporary family law insight and former judicial perspective within one practice.
Our broader team of family lawyers works collaboratively, with matters allocated according to their complexity, urgency and the experience required. Senior strategic oversight is available where appropriate.
Three Distinct Sources of Senior Family Law Authority
Accredited Specialist Leadership
Norton Law Group is led by Senior Partner and co-founder Franco Pomare, who has been a Law Society Accredited Specialist in Family Law for 30 years.
Specialist Accreditation is a formal recognition of demonstrated expertise in a particular area of law. Franco’s accreditation, combined with more than 35 years of legal experience, provides the firm with a considerable depth of knowledge in complex parenting, property, financial and international family law matters.
Franco supervises the family law practice and provides strategic oversight in significant and complex matters.
Award-Winning Legal and Thought Leadership
Partner Gabriella Pomare has practised exclusively in family law for more than a decade. A former Associate to a Justice of the Family Court of Australia, she advises on complex parenting disputes, relocation, family violence, international family law and high-net-worth property matters.
Gabriella is also an award-winning author, international speaker, podcast host and regular Australian and international media commentator. Her work explores not only what the law requires after separation, but also the communication, conflict and family dynamics that influence whether parenting and settlement arrangements succeed in practice.
Her legal work and thought leadership have been recognised through Australian and international legal, business and media awards.
Former Judicial Insight
The Hon. Louise Henderson is a former Justice of the Family Court of Australia with more than 36 years of family law experience.
Her career has included appointments as a Deputy Registrar, Registrar, Senior Registrar, barrister, Federal Magistrate and Justice of the Family Court of Australia. She now conducts facilitative, evaluative and hybrid mediations in complex parenting and financial matters.
In appropriate client matters, Louise may also provide strategic insight to Norton Law Group’s family law team. Her former judicial perspective can assist the team to examine complex parenting, financial, evidentiary and procedural issues, identify potential risks and consider how competing proposals may operate in practice.
Any involvement is considered case by case and remains subject to confidentiality, professional obligations, conflict checks and the preservation of Louise’s independence where she may be asked to act as mediator.
Experience in Complex Family Law Matters
Norton Law Group assists with the full range of family law matters, from amicable separations and consent arrangements to highly contested proceedings.
We have particular experience in matters involving:
Complex Parenting and Child Custody Disputes
We advise on parenting arrangements, parenting orders, parental decision-making, relocation, recovery applications, urgent proceedings, family violence, serious allegations of risk, supervised time and disputes requiring family reports or other expert evidence.
Our focus is on developing legally sound and workable arrangements that respond to the child’s best interests and the circumstances of the individual family.
High-Net-Worth Property Settlements
We act in financial matters involving companies, trusts, business interests, professional practices, property portfolios, self-managed superannuation funds, inheritances, third-party interests and overseas assets.
These cases may require detailed financial disclosure, asset tracing, valuation evidence and advice from forensic accountants, taxation advisers or other specialists. We work with appropriate experts to develop a complete understanding of the asset pool and the available settlement options.
International and Cross-Border Family Law
We advise Australian and overseas clients in matters involving international relocation, jurisdiction, overseas property, foreign businesses, international divorce issues, child abduction and the recognition or enforcement of orders.
Our lawyers have acted in matters involving clients or assets connected with the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and New Zealand.
Urgent and High-Risk Matters
Some family law matters require immediate action. We advise on urgent parenting applications, recovery orders, relocation concerns, family violence, risks to children, threatened dissipation of assets, injunctions and other applications requiring prompt court consideration.
Early advice can be critical where there is a risk that a child may be removed, an asset transferred or an existing arrangement unilaterally changed.
Mediation and Dispute Resolution
We assist clients to resolve family law matters through lawyer-assisted negotiation, collaborative law, family dispute resolution and mediation.
The Hon. Louise Henderson is available to conduct facilitative, evaluative and hybrid mediations in complex parenting and financial matters. Her former judicial experience provides parties and their lawyers with access to an exceptionally experienced family law mediator.
We assist with child support assessments, changes to existing arrangements, and disputes with the Child Support Agency to secure appropriate financial support for your children.
Resolution Where Possible. Strong Representation Where Necessary.
The most aggressive strategy is not always the most effective strategy.
Before recommending a course of action, we consider the issues in dispute, the available evidence, any safety concerns, the parties’ capacity to negotiate, the cost of different processes and the outcome the client is seeking.
Where appropriate, we help clients pursue resolution through:
- direct negotiation;
- lawyer-assisted negotiation;
- collaborative family law;
- family dispute resolution;
- mediation;
- arbitration;
- consent orders; and
- binding financial agreements.
Resolving a matter outside court can provide greater control, privacy and flexibility. It may also reduce the financial and emotional cost of the dispute.
However, not every matter is suitable for informal resolution. Court proceedings may be necessary where there are urgent risks, entrenched conflict, inadequate financial disclosure, unilateral conduct or a significant disagreement that cannot otherwise be resolved.
When litigation is required, our family lawyers provide careful preparation, strategic advice and focused representation in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Advice That Is Clear, Practical and Realistic
Family law clients need more than an explanation of legislation or court procedure. They need to understand what the law means for their particular family and what steps should be taken next.
Our role is to provide:
- a clear assessment of your legal position;
- advice about available options;
- realistic guidance about risks and possible outcomes;
- a strategy tailored to your circumstances;
- properly prepared correspondence and court material;
- guidance about evidence and financial disclosure;
- information about costs and likely next stages; and
- strong representation where negotiations or court proceedings are required.
We do not believe that every dispute should be escalated. We also do not believe that clients should be pressured into unsuitable agreements simply to avoid court.
Our advice is directed toward making informed decisions and pursuing an outcome that is legally sound, commercially considered and workable in practice.
The Right Experience for Your Matter
Every family law matter is different. A straightforward divorce application should not be managed in the same way as an urgent parenting dispute or a property matter involving multiple companies and trusts.
At Norton Law Group, matters are allocated with consideration of:
- the nature and complexity of the legal issues;
- the urgency of the matter;
- the experience required;
- the likely dispute-resolution pathway;
- the need for partner or senior strategic oversight;
- the client’s communication and service requirements; and
- the importance of managing legal costs proportionately.
Our lawyers work collaboratively. Where appropriate, a client may benefit from the involvement of different team members at different stages, while retaining a clear point of contact and an agreed overall strategy.
This structure gives clients access to the collective experience of the firm rather than the knowledge of only one practitioner.
Meet Our Sydney Family Law Team
Child-Centred, Not Conflict-Driven
Parenting disputes require a legal strategy that protects children without unnecessarily placing them in the middle of adult conflict.
Our lawyers help clients distinguish between issues that genuinely affect a child’s safety or welfare and disagreements that may be better addressed through communication, structure or dispute resolution.
We advise on arrangements dealing with:
- where children live;
- time and communication with each parent;
- education, health and other long-term decisions;
- holidays and special occasions;
- interstate and international travel;
- changeovers;
- parental communication;
- supervised time;
- relocation;
- family violence and safety concerns; and
- compliance with or variation of parenting orders.
Where parenting orders are required, we focus on creating arrangements that are clear, practical and capable of operating in the family’s real circumstances.
Commercially Considered Financial Advice
A family law property settlement is not simply a mathematical division of assets. It may affect taxation, business operations, liquidity, borrowing capacity, asset protection, retirement planning and future financial security.
In complex financial matters, we consider not only the value of the assets but also:
- who owns and controls them;
- how companies and trusts operate;
- whether valuations are required;
- whether financial disclosure is complete;
- the tax or transaction consequences of proposed arrangements;
- whether third-party interests are involved;
- whether assets are located overseas; and
- whether the proposed settlement can be practically implemented.
Where appropriate, we work with accountants, valuers, financial advisers, taxation specialists and other experts.
Our objective is to help clients understand both the legal framework and the real commercial effect of the available options.
Recognised Legal and Professional Excellence
Norton Law Group’s authority is supported by specialist accreditation, professional recognition, family law leadership and participation in relevant professional organisations.
Our senior team’s recognition includes:
- 30 years of Law Society Accredited Specialist status held by Franco Pomare;
- Australasian Lawyer Elite Women recognition;
- Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards recognition;
- Women in Law Awards recognition;
- Australian Law Awards recognition;
- Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 recognition;
- American Business Awards recognition;
- Stevie Awards recognition;
- international book awards; and
- membership and participation in family law and collaborative-law organisations.
View Awards, Media and Professional Recognition
Family Law Thought Leadership and Public Education
Our contribution to family law extends beyond individual client matters.
Gabriella Pomare is regularly invited to provide commentary on family law, separation, co-parenting and modern relationships across Australian and international media. Her work has appeared through outlets including ABC, The Guardian, KIIS FM, USA Today, NBC, CBS, FOX, The Today Show, The Morning Show, Forbes, Mamamia and The Australian.
She is the author of The Collaborative Co-Parent and the forthcoming Before It Breaks: A Modern Guide to Love, Conflict, Repair and the Conversations That Change Everything, published by Simon & Schuster and due for release on 2 March 2027.
Gabriella also hosts the Before It Breaks podcast, examining the conversations, conflict patterns and relationship dynamics that exist before families reach breaking point.
This work supports NLG’s broader objective of helping families make better-informed decisions before, during and after separation.
What You Can Expect from Norton Law Group
A Confidential Initial Discussion
We begin by understanding your circumstances, objectives and immediate concerns. We identify any urgent issues and explain what information may be required before detailed advice can be provided.
A Clear Assessment
Your lawyer considers the relevant parenting, financial and procedural issues and explains how the law may apply to your circumstances.
A Tailored Strategy
We recommend a pathway that may include negotiation, collaborative law, mediation, urgent court intervention or longer-term litigation.
Realistic Advice
We provide frank advice about risks, evidence, costs and the practical limitations of different options. Good family law advice should help you make informed decisions, not simply tell you what you want to hear.
Ongoing Communication
We explain the next steps, significant developments and decisions required throughout the matter.
Appropriate Senior Oversight
Complex or high-risk matters may receive partner or senior strategic input where the circumstances require it.
FAQs
Yes. Norton Law Group is an established Sydney firm with a substantial focus on family law. The practice is led by Senior Partner Franco Pomare, who has been a Law Society Accredited Specialist in Family Law for 30 years.
Only an individual solicitor who holds the relevant professional accreditation should be described as an Accredited Specialist. The broader NLG team includes lawyers practising in family law, together with former Family Court Justice and mediator the Hon. Louise Henderson.
Speak with a Sydney Family Lawyer
The decisions made during separation can have long-term consequences for your children, financial position and future relationships.
Early, informed advice can help you understand what matters, protect your position and avoid steps that may be difficult to reverse.
Contact Norton Law Group to arrange a confidential consultation with an appropriate member of our Sydney family law team.
Book a Confidential Consultation
Call (02) 9560 6811
