Coordination complexes derived from chiral and nonchiral sulfonato salen ligands {(SalenSO3)Na2: N,N′‐bis(5‐sulfonatosalicylidene)‐1,2‐diaminoethane disodium salt, [(R,R) and (S,S)‐CySalenSO3]NaK: (R,R) and (S,S)‐N,N′‐bis(5‐sulfonatosalicylidene)‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane sodium–potassium salt} have been synthesized. The crystal structures of the chiral and nonchiral NiII complexes [Ni(SalenSO3)]Na2 (1) and [Ni((R,R)CySalenSO3)]NaK (2) were solved. The other chiral and nonchiral sulfonato salen complexes, [Cu(SalenSO3)]Na2 (4), [Cu((R,R)CySalenSO3)]NaK (5), [Cu((S,S)CySalenSO3)]NaK (6) and [Zn(SalenSO3)]Na2 (7) got hydrolyzed before suitable crystals could form. Yet, their hydrolysis led to the formation of single crystals of the residues of total or partial hydrolysis: 5‐sulfonatosalicylaldehyde sodium salt (A), N‐(5‐sulfonatosalicylidene)‐1,2‐diaminoethane copper(II) [Cu(SalSO3)] (8) and (R,R)‐N‐(5‐sulfonatosalicylidene)‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane copper(II) {Cu[(R,R)CySalSO3]} (9). All compounds were studied with IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy; chiral compounds were also investigated by circular dichroism. The magnetic properties of the copper compounds were investigated. Whereas 8 shows intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions between mononuclear CuII complexes, 7 presents a weak intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling (J = 0.66 cm–1, H = –JŜCu1ŜCu2), which has been rationalized by DFT calculations.