Zoe RobinsonManaging Partner

Zoe is the firm’s Managing Partner.  Since taking on the Managing Partner role in 2013, Zoe has been responsible for driving forward the firm’s strategic vision.  From April 2018, Zoe is focused on this role full-time.

As a practitioner, Zoe has extensive experience as a family law specialist with particular areas of expertise including financial issues on divorce or separation particularly for high net worth individuals where business and farming assets may be involved.  As a Harrogate family lawyer, Zoe also dealt with private law children issues.  Zoe used her skills obtained since 1985 to offer a range of services to clients including Mediation and Collaborative Law as well as acting for clients in court proceedings.

• Trained Family Mediator
• Advanced member of Law Society’s Family Law Panel
• Qualified to conduct Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings
• Practitioner Member of the Law Society Family Mediation Accreditation Scheme
• Member of Family Mediation Council
• LSC Certificate of Recognition for All Issues Mediation
• Trained Collaborative Lawyer
• Member of Resolution

Cases Zoe has dealt with include:

• Residence
• Contact
• Removal of children from the jurisdiction
• Determination of specific issues in respect of children
• Injunctions in relation to domestic advice / disposal of assets
• Pre-nuptial agreements
• Co-habitation issues
• Divorce procedure
• Separation issues
• Financial settlements
• Pension sharing, business assets and farming assets

Why did you originally decide to specialise in Family Law?

Every client has a story to tell and, although there are common themes, each case is unique.

Do you just represent clients in the Harrogate District?

I actually advise clients throughout Yorkshire, nationally and internationally.

What two pieces of advice do you find yourself giving most often to clients who are about to embark upon a divorce?

I always encourage parents who are separating or divorcing to put their children’s needs first. Divorce does not necessarily harm children, it is the conflict between the parents that ordinarily causes the damage. Secondly, the more that you can agree between yourselves the better as the legal fees will only eat into the available assets at a time when finances are already stretched.

What is the most striking change you have seen to Family Law during your time in practice?

This has to be the extent to which going to Court to resolve issues is now the exception as opposed to the norm. Most cases are settled without the need for a Court hearing.

Which area of Family Law do you think still needs to be reformed?

It is unfortunate that we do not have a no fault system for divorce in this country. As a result, it is still frequently necessary to refer to grounds in support of a divorce petition such as unreasonable behaviour or adultery. This creates a more adversarial approach to the process for many parties which is unnecessary and frankly outdated.

As Managing Partner at the firm, what do you think is the greatest strength to the offering by Raworths?

I believe that the common thread which runs through our team of lawyers is the ability to be professional but at the same time to empathise with the situations in which individuals find themselves.

Zoe Robinson is well versed in high-value cross-border financial remedy work.  She is described by market sources as a “very competent, friendly and approachable” practitioner who “looks after clients well.”  She is also noted as a collaborative lawyer

Chambers UK Directory 2018