Nicole L. Atlak is the Chair of Domestic Violence Practice Group. She is licensed to practice law in the States of New York and New Jersey, where she passionately represents her clients. Her practice spans a broad spectrum of family law issues, including resolving or litigating domestic violence trials, uncontested or contested divorces, complex custody disputes, and various matrimonial matters such as pendente lite support and post-judgment motions. Nicole has been recognized in 2024 and 2025 as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the State and selected by New Jersey Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in the area of family law, a designation given to less than 2.5% of New Jersey attorneys each year. She has been certified in Forensic Interviewing Techniques by Fordham University.
Before joining Lyons & Associates, P.C., Nicole was an associate attorney at Caruso, Smith, Picini, P.C., where she handled criminal defense and civil litigation, matrimonial and family law matters, and administrative proceedings. Her practice also encompassed helping her clients navigate and/or defend against investigations by the Division of Children and Family Services (DCF). Nicole also provided legal representation to public employees, including police officers, teachers, and school employees facing disciplinary actions, tenure charges, certificate revocations, and other employment-related issues. Earlier in her career, Nicole served as a prosecutor at the New York City Law Department in New York County. During this tenure, she focused extensively on juvenile delinquency cases and prosecuted a wide array of offenses, including minor offenses like shoplifting and drug possession to more serious crimes including robberies, aggravated assaults, and vehicular manslaughter. Nicole also specialized as a Special Victims prosecutor, handling sensitive cases involving sexual offenses or intimate partner violence.
While in law school, Nicole interned at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she represented victims of domestic violence in various legal matters such as family offense proceedings, spousal support, uncontested divorces, and immigration cases. She also interned in the Special Victims Units of both the New York County and Queens County District Attorney’s Offices, and assisted in the prosecution of domestic violence offenses. As a testament to her devotion to the practice of representing domestic violence victims, Nicole authored a note which urged the New York State legislature to amend the laws relating to domestic violence, which was published within St. John’s Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development. https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1863&context=jcred. She continues to work closely with the non-profit organization 180 Turning Lives Around based in the Monmouth County Superior Court. Nicole also drafted numerous appeals on a variety of legal issues and argued before the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, including State v. Mary Mellody, A-1087-22. https://www.njcourts.gov/system/files/court-opinions/2024/a1087-22.pdf.