Keturah Sageman

Senior Partner

keturah@nicholeslaw.com.au

Areas of Expertise

Keturah is an Accredited Family Law Specialist and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Her practice covers all areas of family law, with expertise in complex property and financial settlements, prenuptial agreements, parenting disputes (including interstate and international relocations and abductions) and child support issues. While experienced in litigation and appearing regularly in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, she also negotiates out-of-court settlements and undertakes mediations to help clients resolve their disputes amicably.

Professional Experience

Keturah has over 20 years of specialist experience in family law. She has gained admission to practice as a lawyer in NSW, WA and Victoria. Prior to joining Nicholes Family Lawyers in 2012, Keturah was based in Sydney where she held senior roles in two of Australia’s leading family law firms, representing high net worth clients. Keturah coaches and mentors our junior lawyers, is an active member of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria and has presented family law papers at conferences.

Qualifications

  • Accredited Family Law Specialist (Victoria and previously NSW)  
  • Admitted to practice in the Victorian Supreme Court (and NSW and WA)
  • Admitted to practice in the High Court of Australia
  • Bachelor of Laws with Honours – Australian National University
  • Bachelor of Science – Australian National University

Memberships

  • Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers
  • 2018 Doyle’s Guide – Recommended Parenting & Children’s Matters Lawyers Victoria
  • Law Institute of Victoria – Committee Member of the Family Law Section Executive
  • Law Council of Australia – Family Law Section
  • Law Asia – Family Law & Family Rights Section

In the Media

June 2024

Recognition of pre-nuptial agreements in Australia and the United Kingdom

Nicholes Family Lawyer’s Managing Partner Sally Nicholes and Senior Partner Keturah Sageman joined Dawson Cornwall Partner Simon Bruce in a podcast discussing the legal treatment of pre-nuptial agreements in Australia and the United Kingdom. Their podcast featured in the International Academy of Family Lawyers May Newsletter, showcasing their in-depth conversation highlighting their knowledge of pre-nuptial agreements in family law.

To read the newsletter, click here.

December 2023

Nicholes Family Lawyers Senior Partner Keturah Sageman interviews IAFL Asia Pacific Chapter Fellow Bill Kordos

Senior Partner Keturah Sageman interviewed Bill Kordos, Head of Family Law at AFL Kordos Lawyers, on his recent achievement of attaining Fellowship with the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) Asia Pacific Chapter. The conversation delved into Bill’s motivations for pursuing Fellowship, the legal issues that hold significance for him as a Fellow, and the crucial role of cultivating connections with fellow members in advancing the mission of IAFL.

To watch the interview, click here.

May 2023

International Child Abduction under Japan’s Sole Parental Custody System

Nicholes Family Lawyer Senior Partner Keturah Sageman wrote an article on ‘International Child Abduction under Japan’s Sole Parental Custody System’ for the May edition of the International Academy of Family Lawyers Newsletter. Keturah’s article addresses Japan’s sole custody laws and the implications for child safety during relationship breakdowns.

To read the article, click here.

March 2023

Opening Pandora’s Box – Law Institute of Victoria Law Institute Journal Special Edition on Family Law (March 2023 Edition) 

Sally co authored an article with colleague Nicholes Family Lawyers Senior Partner Keturah Sageman titled “Opening Pandora’s box?” which looks at the Forster decision regarding mutual wills agreements and the implications this case has for binding financial agreements and property settlements from a family law perspective, especially for blended families. Read the article here. 

February 2023

Can we do more to protect children? Intercountry adoption, relocation and abduction 

Keturah co-authored an article with colleague Nicholes Family Lawyers Managing Partner Sally Nicholes titled “Can we do more to protect children? Intercountry adoption, relocation, and abduction” for the January / February 2023 edition of “Precedent”, the journal of the Australian Lawyers Alliance. Read the article here.

January 2023

How International Jurisdictions Address Systems Abuse in Their Family Courts

Managing Partner Sally Nicholes and Senior Partner Keturah Sageman co-authored an article for the International Academy of Family Lawyers on ‘How International Jurisdictions Address Systems Abuse in Their Family Courts’ in January 2023. The article provides a comparison on how international jurisdictions seek to protect vulnerable litigants against systems abuse and offers insight into whether the current response ought to be strengthened in order to prevent the prevalence of this kind of abuse.

To read the article, click here.

January 2021

Australian Family Law & Practice and Australian Master Family Law Guide

Keturah was a Consultant for the Wolters Kluwer CCH Intelliconnect Australian Family Law & Practice and Australian Master Family Law Guide. This involved updating chapters of the esteemed publications on Child Abduction and Major Long Term Children’s Issues.

Thought Leadership

Keturah is a leader in her field. She has presented on a range of family law topics. Recent thought leadership includes:

8th World Congress on Family Law 2021: Through the eyes of the Child [a Law Asia Event] – Keturah spoke on the issue of Identity Theft: rights of donor conceived children. Keturah was also the moderator of the “Companies as weapons in the commission of domestic and family violence” webinar

Family Law Conference (Singapore) 2021: Fight or Flight: Is Abduction a Hindrance to Return? Keturah appeared as a panellist with Mr Yap Teong and spoke of issue of ‘habitual residence’ and ‘grave risk’ defence under Article 13 of the Hague Convention

Leo Cussen School: Keturah has run sessions on drafting complex agreements and orders

Nicholes Family Lawyers – Podcast series

Leading contributor / consultant to CCH Wolter Publications including the Australian Master Family Law Guide – 11th Edition (2021). Keturah updated:

  • The chapters on Child Abduction
  • The chapter on Major Long Term Children’s Issues.
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