Alicia Prest
Alicia is admitted to the ACT Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia and has worked in both private law firms and legal branches within the public sector. Alicia has also been contracted to tertiary institutions to tutor, assess and write curriculum for university law students and graduates.
Alicia’s practice is focused on all aspects of Family Law and Estate Planning.
She has worked on simple and complex Family Law matters, including children’s matters involving relocation within Australia and overseas and has handled property matters with a modest asset pool to multi-million dollar asset pools, including family trusts, overseas assets and farming properties that have been in one party’s family for generations.
The scale and breadth of Alicia’s Family Law work extends from divorce applications; child support agreements; financial agreements and reaching agreements through negotiations, mediation, collaborative practice and through the Court process. She has experience in dealing with marriages, de facto relationships and same-sex relationships. Alicia has also had the privilege of advising families in relation to surrogacy and adoption matters and formalising these family arrangements in the ACT Supreme Court.
Alicia’s Estate practice work includes Wills and Powers of Attorney, Estate Administration, including Probate and Letters of Administration applications, estate disputes and Family Provision Claims.
Alicia can also advise on employment law issues for employers and employees alike.
Alicia’s ‘can do’ attitude can be attributed to her country upbringing. She has a keen eye for detail and prides herself on providing clients with a comprehensive legal service from beginning to resolution and keeping her clients informed every step of the way. She is building an excellent reputation amongst clients and colleagues alike.
Alicia graduated from the University of Canberra with First Class Honours and was the recipient of the Herbert Burton Medal, a prestigious award presented to one graduating student university-wide for academic excellence and significant contribution to the University and wider community.
During her studies, Alicia received multiple Dean’s excellence awards for her high GPA and topped several units (while raising her three boys, studying full time and working almost full time), including:
The Professor Patricia Easteal Prize for the highest academic achieving student in Advanced Legal Research and Writing (Honours);
The ACT Bar Association prize for the highest academic achieving student in Evidence Law;
The FGD prize for the highest academic achieving student in Family Law;
The Clayton Utz prize for the highest academic achieving student in Employment Discrimination and the Law;
The ANZAPPL ACT prize for the highest academic achieving student in Mental Health Law;
LexisNexis prize for the highest academic achieving student in Women and the Law;
The Centre for Internet Safety Prize for the highest academic achieving student in Cybercrime Law.
Alicia has been published in the Australian Journal of Family Law having co-authored the article (based on her Honours research): ‘Discounting the Mother-Child Relationship in Parenting Orders: A Snapshot in Time’ Australian Journal of Family Law 32(3) 221-248 and has authored materials for the College of Law Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice course.
In 2018 Alicia was nominated for the ACT Woman Lawyer of the Year and ACT Woman Lawyer of the Year Early Career.
During her time at university, Alicia co-founded the University of Canberra Women Lawyers Mentor Program which matches later year law students with practising lawyers to assist the transition from law student to lawyer. Alicia continues to participate in this program as a mentor and enjoys mentoring future members of the profession. She also values those in the profession who she considers to be her own mentors.
“Alicia, thank you for all the good work you have done and thank you for all your persistence and diligence with our matter.”
— Katherine