Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2025 
Chris Nickelson is Dual Board Certified in Family Law and in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Fort Worth.
With over 27 years practicing exclusively in family law, Chris is a past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section, currently serves as Director of District 7 on the State Bar of Texas Board, and chaired the Committee on Pattern Jury Charges, Family & Probate Volume, from 2020 to 2024. He is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.
Chris has been named to the Super Lawyers Top 100 in Texas (2025), selected to Super Lawyers Texas every year since 2014, and recognized as a Top Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine since 2007. He has received the Texas Bar College Franklin Jones, Jr. CLE Award (2012, 2026), the Joseph W. McKnight Best Family Law CLE Article Award (2011, 2015), the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section Chair's Award (2024), and the Dan R. Price Award (2013).
His practice focuses on high-net-worth divorce, divorces involving complex business interests, and property characterization. He handles family law appeals throughout Texas.
Chris earned his Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1999 and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996. He clerked for Justice Ann McClure of the El Paso Court of Appeals.
He is known for his appellate work and his rigorous approach to trial strategy and marital property issues. His goal is for clients to navigate complex divorce and appellate matters with confidence that their case has been built with care — every property issue handled with precision and every position preserved for review.
