Hannah Robins

Qualifications

BBus, Auckland University of Technology 2009
LLB, University of Waikato 2023
Admitted to the Bar in New Zealand 2024

Contact

DDI: +64 7 570 0692
E: hannah.robins@hobec.co.nz

Hannah is a solicitor in our Family Law team in Tauranga.

Prior to commencing her Law degree Hannah worked in the Tauranga Family Court Registry and has joined the family team to utilise this background. Hannah was raised in Tauranga but has previously studied and worked abroad in Canada, Australia, England and India before returning to the Bay.

Hannah Robins's Expertise

Family Law

Hannah Robins's News & Resources

Dissolving your marriage where there is family violence

Ashley Jones commenced petitioning for a change in the current dissolution laws after leaving an abusive marriage herself. After waiting two years, Ashley was told she had to locate her husband and organise for him to be served with the paperwork, despite not knowing his whereabouts and a final protection order being in place. This is obviously an upsetting, frustrating and potentially dangerous situation to navigate following an abusive relationship and lengthy wait to formalise the divorce. Previously, under the Family Proceedings Act 1980, an application for an order dissolving a marriage or civil union could only be made if the parties had been living apart for a period of 2 years. Although a one party application could be made, the other party would still need to be served with the paperwork and be given a right to respond. Ashley Jones\' petition to add additional grounds for dissolution for protected persons was successful and an amendment has just been passed into law. The Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill allows family violence survivors with a final protection order in place against their spouse to dissolve their marriage immediately upon a simple application to the Family Court. Under s39A, this Bill not only eliminates the need for parties to wait for 2 years before applying for a dissolution, but also the need for the protected party to serve the other with the application. Upon receipt of the application, providing a protection order is in place, the Registrar of the Family Court may make an order dissolving the marriage or civil union. For the purpose of this Bill, a protection order means: A final protection order under the Family Violence Act 2018; or A protection order: Made under section 123B of the Sentencing Act 2002; and That becomes a final order under section 123G of the Sentencing Act 2002; or A registered foreign protection order. This is good news for victims of family violence. Please reach out to our Family law team for further information.

Learning and celebrating Te Reo Māori

This week we are celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week. The learning and use of Te Reo is something that Holland Beckett supports and encourages, recognising the importance of diversity, inclusion and Māori customs to our firm, the business and legal space, and the wider community. Over the last few months, our people have had the option to join weekly in-house Te Reo classes. The firm has run these classes previously, to very positive engagement and feedback from staff, and the second series run by kaiako (teacher) Atirau has been a great learning opportunity for our team. “The classes provide a basic grasp of Te Reo (including pronunciations and a ko wai au/pepeha), Tikanga practices, local myths and legends”, Cory Lipinski explains. This was the first time beyond school that he has taken a Te Reo course, and he has enjoyed the challenge of learning something new that is important to him. “As someone who lacked a proper understanding of Te Ao Māori, I wanted to have a grasp on the language, customs and traditions and their importance to Aotearoa. I believe that everyone in Aotearoa should have a grasp of Te Reo, whether this be speaking and reading the language or a basic understanding of the pronunciation of words. Given that there is a general stance from Government to disincentivise the use of Te Reo and a push back from our own profession to introducing tikanga Māori into the law courses, I think use of Te Reo in everyday activities needs to become the usual practice.” Cory is a Solicitor in our environment and planning team - “a large part of our work in environmental and planning law is associated with the effects that projects may have on mana whenua. It is important that we have a firm grasp of the Māori language and Tikanga.” Senior Solicitor Waiata Groot also joined the classes. She is deepening her knowledge of the language “because many of the ongoing challenges Māori face in society today are better understood if we, as individuals and a collective, expand our knowledge on Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view – including the Māori language, the customs and traditions, embracing Māori stories, and understanding their importance)”. This is important to her as Māori she has “seen firsthand the value in both Māori and non-Māori having mutual respect for different ways of doing things and working collaboratively to achieve for results everyone (which, simply put, can only be done if we understand and appreciate cultural differences).” As a family lawyer, Waiata sees encompassing this knowledge into her work as not only relevant, but essential - “for example, from a care of children perspective, two of the seven principles that NZ Courts must consider when making decisions regarding children include consideration of a child’s relationship with both parents, and that a child’s relationship with his or her family group, whānau, hapū, or iwi should be preserved and strengthened, and, consideration of a child’s identity which includes the child\'s culture.” Also in our Family Law team, Hannah Robins wasn’t born in Aotearoa and joined the classes as she feels it is “important to have understanding of the values and Tikanga especially while working in the family court”, to better grasp pronunciation and “to learn my mihi enough to confidently speak it in public”. Along with everyone in the class, Hannah praised Atirau as an great teacher, “he has incorporated games and activities into the learning which has made it fun. He is also very good at giving feedback and I don’t think anyone has felt embarrassed or judged if they haven’t known something”. This Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori we\'re encouraging the whole firm to get involved with Te Reo Māori phrases and cue cards in and around the office, competitions for the use of Te Reo, and Te Reo Māori Bingo along with a Hangi lunch. Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama. Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.