Nicole A. Forbes
Overview
ShareholderDirector, Family Law Department
Nicole is an experienced and collaboratively trained family law lawyer, assisting clients in resolving their family crises in an efficient manner with empathy, compassion, and collegiality. Through thoughtful and tailored strategy unique to client goals and creative solutions to maximize family wealth and limit familial turmoil, she works with self-employed individuals, business owners, business executives, attorneys, dentists, doctors, human resource professionals, homemakers, education professionals, retirees, tradesmen, and others to achieve results that work best for them and their families.
Through full representations or consultation arrangements, Nicole assists clients with divorces (including those involving high net-worth marital estates, trust assets, business interests, multiple real estate holdings, and other potentially complex assets), divorce planning, legal separations, parenting (formerly custody) matters, contempt matters, child support matters and modification, alimony modification, other post-divorce issues, and more.
Nicole resolves most cases through negotiation, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution methods, representing clients at court proceedings when needed. She has briefed and argued cases before the New Hampshire Circuit Court Family Division, including those on the specialized Family Division Complex Case Docket, designed for high-value and/or highly contentious matters; the New Hampshire Circuit Court Probate Division; and the New Hampshire Circuit Court District Division. Nicole has also briefed cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, New Hampshire Superior Court, and New Hampshire Circuit Court Probate Division’s specialized Trust Docket, designed for complex trust cases. In addition to her work for clients, Nicole regularly writes and speaks on various family law topics.
Past Experience
Prior to joining the firm, Nicole practiced family law and probate litigation at a large New Hampshire law firm. She was also a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Richard Tucker, Massachusetts Superior Court for Worcester County. She was a research assistant for Dean, then Professor, Andrew Perlman for “A Behavioral Theory of Legal Ethics” published in the University of Indiana Law Journal; Professor Charles P. Kindregan for the third edition of Assisted Reproductive Technology: A Lawyer’s Guide to Emerging Law & Science to be published by the American Bar Association; and Professor Stephanie Roberts Hartung for work on active New England Innocence Project cases. As a research assistant for Professor Hartung, Nicole worked on an amicus brief filed with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of a wrongfully convicted man, leading to his release from prison on a stay of execution and eventual exoneration.
When not practicing law, Nicole enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, traveling, reading, writing, art, and sports—especially New England Patriots football.
Professional & Community Involvement
Professional Involvement
- Steering Committee Co-Chair & Graduate, New Hampshire Bar Association Leadership Academy
- Member (former Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk), New Hampshire Bar Association Family Law Section
- Member, New Hampshire Bar Association Trust & Estate Law Section
- Member (former Programming Committee), New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association
- Member, Collaborative Law Alliance of New Hampshire
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, New Hampshire Association for Justice
Community Involvement
- Volunteer, Granite United Way
- Alumni Mentor & Mock Interview Volunteer, Southern New Hampshire University
- Alumni Mentor, Suffolk University Law School
Honors & Distinctions
- Cited in The Best Lawyers in America as “One to Watch” for Family Law, since 2023
- Recognized as a Rising Star by New England Super Lawyers for Family Law, since 2019
- Givers Gain Award, BNI Strategic Partners
- Content Editor, Suffolk University Law Review
- Vice Magistrate, Phi Delta Phi Honor Society, Rehnquist Inn at Suffolk University Law School
- Distinguished Brief Award, Suffolk University Law School
- Honorable Mention Oral Advocate Award, Suffolk University Law School
- Jurisprudence Award for Property Law, Suffolk University Law School
- Jurisprudence Award for Evidence/Trial Advocacy, Suffolk University Law School
- Pro Bono Honors, Suffolk University Law School
Education
- Suffolk University Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2015
- Southern New Hampshire University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2012
Bar Admission
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court – New Hampshire
- U.S. District Court – Massachusetts
Publications
- Active Author for Orr & Reno Family Law Blog
- “The Impact of Payment Services on Lawyer and Client Obligations in Divorce Under Family Division Rule 1.25-A – Mandatory Disclosure,” NHBA Bar News (Nov. 2022)
- “Domestic Violence’s Impact: It’s Another Workplace Safety Issue that Employers Must Address,” New Hampshire Business Review (Nov. 2021)
- “Drafting with an Eye to Litigation: Tips to Safeguard Enforceability of Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements at the Time of Divorce or Legal Separation,” NHBA Bar News (co-author) (Nov. 2021)
- “Vaccination Mandate Rules for Contractors and Subcontractors: Detailing What the President’s Executive Order Means for Firms That Do Business with the Government,” New Hampshire Business Review (Oct. 2021)
- “NH Legal Perspective: A Review of New Hampshire’s New Alimony Statute,” New Hampshire Union Leader (Aug. 2019)
- “NH Legal Perspective: Family in crisis — Is a guardianship the solution?,” New Hampshire Union Leader (June 2017)
- “NH Legal Perspective: Basic estate plans and why every millennial needs one,” New Hampshire Union Leader (Apr. 2017)
- “Advising Clients on Guardianships of Minors in Light of the Opiate Epidemic,” NHBA Bar News (Mar. 2017) (co-author)
- “NH Legal Perspective: Are revocable trusts still relevant?,” New Hampshire Union Leader (Mar. 2016)
Presentations
- Co-Moderator, Adoption CLE, NHBA Family Law Section April 2022 Meeting
- Presenter, CLE – 2022 Legislative Preview CLE: Family Law, New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association (March 2022)
- Presenter, CLE – 2021 Legal Update to New Hampshire Family Law, New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association (Jan. 2022)
- Moderator, CLE – 2022 Annual Family Law CLE, New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association (Jan. 2022)
- Panelist, CLE – Pre-Nup & Post-Nup, New Hampshire Bar Association (Dec. 2021)
- Presenter, CLE – Nuts and Bolts of Family Law: Property Division, New Hampshire Bar Association (Nov. 2021)
- Presenter, CLE – Signposts on the Tax Road: Family Law, New Hampshire Bar Association (March 2021)
- Presenter, CLE – 2020 Legal Update to New Hampshire Family Law, New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association (Jan. 2021)
- Moderator, CLE – Domestic Violence in the Pandemic: A Guide for Practitioners, New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association (Jan. 2021)
- Moderator, The Business Side of Family Law, New Hampshire Bar Association Family Law Section January 2021 Meeting
- Host, NHBA Family Law Section January 2020 Meeting
- Moderator, Clerk’s Panel, NHBA Family Law Section 2019 December Meeting
- Panelist, Pre-Nup, Post-Nup, and No-Nup (Irrevocable Trust), New Hampshire Bar Association (Aug. 2019)
