Howard Kennedy LLP

Family

Iona Nicolson is a solicitor in the Family team, advising ultra-high-net-worth, high-net-worth and high-profile clients such as city professionals and business owners, on private children and matrimonial financial matters, particularly those arising from relationship breakdowns.

Iona has significant expertise in complex financial remedy cases, including those involving dynastic or complex business structures, foreign assets and companies, complicated tax issues and digital assets such as cryptocurrency. She also specialises in domestic children matters, with experience in cases involving serious allegations of abuse, concurrent criminal proceedings, sensitive issues concerning adopted children, parental alienation, and both domestic and international child relocation and abduction under the Hague Convention.

Iona regularly handles cases involving jurisdictional disputes, providing expert advice on pre- and post-nuptial agreements and supporting a substantial number of clients through the voluntary financial remedy or non-court dispute resolution processes. She works closely with foreign lawyers in countries such as the Netherlands, Turkey, Colombia and Switzerland, among others.

A strong advocate for non-court dispute resolution, Iona supports her clients through mediation or arbitration, where appropriate. She is committed to developing viable alternatives to litigation and is part of a group piloting a scheme to give children a voice in solicitor-led negotiations. As part of this initiative, she is helping to organise a 'Voice of the Child' conference this year.

Where court intervention is necessary, Iona offers her clients personal and steadfast support during challenging proceedings. She excels in managing large volumes of evidence, drafting clear and concise witness statements, and presenting complex matters with clarity, all while ensuring her clients feel supported and well-informed throughout the process.

Iona joined Howard Kennedy in August 2023, having qualified in 2022. She is a member of Resolution, an organisation of family lawyers committed to resolving family matters constructively, which is reflected in her approach to her practice. Iona is also a regular contributor to industry and other publications, including eprivateclient, the Law Society Gazette and Tatler Experts' Corner.

English, Dutch