Sally Pretorius

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Sally Pretorius was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. A cum laude/Honors Program graduate of St. Mary’s University, with a degree in political science, she went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree in May of 2009 from the SMU Dedman School of Law, in Dallas.

Sally is certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (both memberships attained in her first year of eligibility) and has made the Texas Rising Stars and Texas Super Lawyer lists. As a matter of fact, Sally has always been an overachiever; attorneys many years her senior would be delighted to have her resume. “I’ve been lucky to have opportunities to work on a number of complex cases, divorces involving high-net-worth individuals, and challenging custody matters,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I was delighted to be asked to join KoonsFuller. Very few firms in the country attract the kinds of clients or cases we do – or offer the resources and level of support KoonsFuller does.”

Sally has a remarkably seasoned approach to how she manages her cases. “I tell clients, we have two options: We can be amicable or we can be litigious. I explain the merits of each and, together, we decide the proper course,” she says. “Clear communication and managing expectations are critical in any family law matter. I enjoy my time in the courtroom, but I know that mediation and settlements out of court are often the better solutions. I always want to do what’s best for my clients. ”

Sally has polished her impressive communication skills and developed valuable relationships as an active member of many professional organizations. She practices law in Tarrant, Collin, Dallas, Travis, and Denton counties.

Sally met her husband Adam, an investment strategist, while living in Austin after law school and they have a one-year old daughter- Hannah and a rescued German Short Hair Pointer. Away from work, Sally enjoys exercise, which, according to her, includes running half marathons, spin classes, and extreme shoe shopping.

Presentations

• Speaker, Power Act- Pro Bono Representation of Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault- Basics of Family Law for Pro Bono Attorneys.
• Speaker, A 360-degree View of Virtual Arbitration, 2020 Virtual Arbitration Institute- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
• Speaker, “Boomer to Zoomer: A Basic Zoom Guide for Lawyers.” Collin County Bar Association and Houston Bar Association, April 22, 2020.
• Speaker, “Navigating COVID-19 Issues in Family Law.” Dallas Bar Association, April 13, 2020.
• Speaker, “Pro Bono.” Presentation at the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program CLE, April 23, 2019.

Publications

• Author, “Between Two Homes: Tips for Co-Parenting and Exchanges During a Pandemic” Texas Lawyer, June 8, 2020.
• Author, “INSIGHT: Tips for Honing ‘Tele-Advocacy’ Online Skills” Bloomberg Law, April 3, 2020.
• Author, “INSIGHT: Attorneys Need ‘Tele-Advocacy’ Tools as Courts Adapt to Coronavirus” Bloomberg Law, April 2, 2020.
• Author, ““Zoom”ing into a new era,” Texas Bar, March 19, 2020.
• Author, “Navigating Silver Foxes and Vixen Through Divorce” Bloomberg Law, October 2, 2019.
• Author, “Amazon’s Bezos Divorce To Be Exposed in SEC Filings” Bloomberg Law, January 29, 2019.
• Author, “In Splitting Assets, the Bezos Divorce Reveals Biases Against Stay-at-Home Partners” Texas Lawyer, January 30, 2019.

Education:

• Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D. (2009)
• St. Mary’s University (2006)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude
  • GPA 3.67; Honors Program Graduate

Professional and Community:

• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Fellow
• Dallas County Advocacy Center
  • Board of Directors (2019- Current)
• The Family Place
  • Partners Card Co-Chair- 2020
• Texas Minority Counsel Program, Steering Committee (2019, 2020)
• Commission for Lawyer Discipline (2020-2023)
• Texas Young Lawyers Association
  • President of TYLA (2017-2018)
  • Vice-President (2016-2017)
  • Secretary (2015-2016)
  • Big City Minority Director (2014-2016)
  • Austin Director (2012-2014)
  • Director of the Year Award (2014)
  • New Director of the Year Award (2013)
• Junior League of Dallas
  • Board of Directors, V-P of Training (2019-2020)
  • Leadership Council, Provisional Chair (2017-2018)
  • Development Committee (2014-2015)
  • Small Group Advisor (2015-2016)
  • Leadership Development Track (2015)
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (2009-2010, 2014-2019)
  • Leadership Class (2014)
• Austin Bar/Austin Young Lawyers – Leadership Academy
  • Member (2012)
  • Co-Chair (2013-2014)
• Austin Young Lawyers Association
  • Director of the Year (2012)
  • Board of Directors (2011-2013)
  • Women’s Resource Fair (2011-2014)
    • Coordinator of social services
  • Austin Bar Gala- AYLA Auction Chair (2010-2014)
• Leadership Austin – Emerge Program (Class of 2012)
• University of Texas Law School Advocacy Program
  • Litigation Institute Instructor (2012 and 2013)
  • Mock Trial Coach (2012 and 2013)
• Dallas Museum of Art, Junior Associates
  • Steering Committee (2015-2017)
• Genesis Young Leaders
  • Steering Committee (2015-2017)
• Texas Minority Counsel Program, Steering Committee (2019)

Admissions:

• State Bar of Texas (2009)

Honors/Accreditations

• D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” (2021-23)
• Best Lawyers Under 40 by D Magazine (2017 – 2023)
• Honoree, Texas Super Lawyers (2014-22)
  • Top 50 Women Texas (2018-22)
  • Top 100 DFW (2021-22)
• Honoree, Texas Rising Star (2014)
• People Newspaper 20 Under 40 (2020)
• The Best Lawyers in America^© in family law as recognized by Best Lawyers, LLC (2018-2023)
• Recognized, Elite Lawyer by Elite Lawyer (2018)
• Board Certified, Family Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Publications and Presentations

• Family Law Lessons in Reality TV– March 2013, Presentation to Austin Attorney General’s Office, sponsored by Austin Young Lawyers Association
• Temporary Orders – December 2012, December 2013, Divorce Basics CLE, sponsored by Volunteer Legal Services
• Family Law Toolkit– April 2013, co-authored in conjunction with Texas Young Lawyers Association
• Case Phase Two: 45 Days from Filing to 30 Days Before Trial (Discovery, Motions, Mediations and Trial Preparation), prepared article presented at Advanced Family Law 2014
• Kids Say the Darndest Things- An Academic and Demonstrative Look at the In Chambers Conference prepared article presented at Advanced Family Law 2015
• The Elusive Family Law Jury Trial, prepared for Advanced Family Law 2016
• Can I Un-See That? How to Manage Offensive Evidence, prepared for 2017 Family Justice Conference