Ann Robinson joined Barrington Black Austin & Co Solicitors in 1988 as an Articled Clerk (now known as a Trainee Solicitor). The firm merged along with two other firms to form Blacks Solicitors in 1989.

Ann qualified in 1990 and became a Partner in 1995 and is currently Head of the Family Law team. She is a well-known specialist in financial divorce settlements and acts for a number of high net worth individuals, frequently advising in complex cases involving businesses, pensions, and overseas assets.

Ann is also highly experienced in dealing with: complicated property disputes involving cohabitees, including claims under TLATA 1996 and Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989; private children applications including child arrangement orders, prohibited steps and specific issue orders; and pre-marital and cohabitation agreements.

Ann is recognised by The Legal 500 for her “very good client manner” and for being “particularly helpful”.

Paul Lancaster joined Blacks Solicitors in 2001 where he became a Partner in the Family Law team in 2007.

Paul has particular expertise in financial divorce settlements and frequently deals with complex financial settlements for high net worth individuals, including cases with assets over £10m. He also supports the firm’s Sports Law team and has acted for numerous high profile sporting individuals.

In addition Paul has a wealth of experience in family disputes and has acted in numerous private children applications. Many of these involved complicated matters regarding the residence and contact of children, and some included cases with an international element. He has particular expertise in difficult TLATA cases when one party is seeking to assert a beneficial interest in property or land owned by another.

Paul also has a focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and is a qualified and highly experienced Collaborative Lawyer, with extensive experience assisting clients seeking to resolve matters without the need for contested proceedings.

Paul is a member of Resolution and The Law Society Family Law Accreditation Scheme, and is recognised by The Legal 500 for his ability to “focus on the points that matter and achieve excellent results” and for being “reassuring and supportive.”

Andrew Smith joined Blacks Solicitors in October 2016 and is an Associate Solicitor in the Family Law team.

Andrew previously qualified as a Solicitor in 2007, having completed a degree in Law and Accounting at the University of Leeds, and then the LPC at the College of Law in York. Andrew trained and qualified at a highly regarded regional firm in Scunthorpe, eventually moving in 2011 to a commercial firm in South East Leeds.

Andrew has a wealth of experience in family law and specialises in the financial implications of relationship breakdown.

He has acted for a wide range of clients across the social spectrum and in a variety of family law matters including divorce and finances, child arrangements, same sex families, and non-married couples.

Clients and colleagues praise Andrew for his calm, unflappable approach. He is a member of Resolution and sits on the committee for West and North Yorkshire.

Andrew is also a member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel and is a Family Mediator accredited by the Family Mediation Council and the Law Society.

In addition, Andrew is recognised by The Legal 500.

Anna Rhodes has worked at Blacks Solicitors since 2009 where she qualified as a Solicitor in 2015, and currently works in the Family Law team.

Anna represents clients in all areas of family law including divorces, civil partnership dissolution, financial settlements, property related matters and private Children Act matters.

Anna has a particular interest in resolving parental disputes regarding children, representing parents and grandparents, in cases involving the removal of children from the jurisdiction.

Anna is a committee member of Young Resolution (West and North Yorkshire), a network of family law professionals committed to promoting the Resolution Code of Practice and adopting a constructive approach to family law issues.