Midlands and South West law firm Lodders has appointed Aasha Choudhary as a partner in its family team, the firm announced.
Choudhary will be based principally in Lodders’ Birmingham office. She advises on complex family matters, with particular expertise in high-net-worth financial remedy cases, international family law, trust and business-owner disputes, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, and complex children matters including relocation and abduction cases.
She joins from Shakespeare Martineau, where she was a partner and head of the Birmingham family team. Companies House records show her registered as a member of Lodders Solicitors LLP from 5 October 2026, one of 25 active members of the partnership.
Career and rankings
Choudhary joined Shakespeare Martineau in 2022 from Mills & Reeve. Lodders said she spent nine years at Mills & Reeve, while Shakespeare Martineau’s announcement of her hire at the time said she had joined “after eight years at Mills & Reeve, where she worked her way up from associate to principal associate”. The same announcement said she had more than 13 years’ qualified experience and had worked on a pre-nuptial agreement covering assets worth £1.45 billion.
She is ranked in Band 2 for family and matrimonial work in the West Midlands in the Chambers and Partners 2027 UK guide, which describes her as frequently advising “on financial remedy matters that have significant international elements”. The Legal 500 lists her as a next generation partner for family work in Birmingham.
Building the team
Lodders said the appointment forms part of its continued investment in its family team, which focuses on advising clients on complex and sensitive issues in their personal lives.
The hire follows the arrival of Mark Hands as head of family earlier this year. Hands was registered as a designated member of the LLP on 9 June 2026, according to Companies House. In the latest Chambers and Partners ranking for family and matrimonial work in the West Midlands, Lodders’ family department is placed in Band 2, with Hands ranked individually in Band 1 and his colleague Vivienne Middleton in Band 2. Shakespeare Martineau and Mills & Reeve also appear in the same table.
Choudhary said: “Lodders combines an outstanding reputation in family law with a culture that puts clients and relationships at the heart of the firm. Joining Mark, Vivienne and the wider team is an exciting opportunity to help shape a practice with the expertise and ambition to be a first choice for complex family law matters in Birmingham and nationally.
“Clients come to me facing decisions that can affect their family, their business and their financial future for years to come. They need clear advice, sound judgment and someone who will stand firmly in their corner. My approach combines technical rigour with a clear strategy and a close understanding of what matters most to each client, whether that means protecting a business, navigating international assets or securing arrangements for their children.
“Having spent much of my career advising on complex financial disputes, I know how important it is to identify the right issues early and maintain a clear focus on the outcome. I am committed to achieving negotiated solutions wherever possible, while being robust and decisive when litigation is necessary.”
She added: “Mark and I have known each other for more than a decade and share a clear ambition for the team: to provide exceptional family law advice with the personal attention clients deserve. Lodders’ strength across private client, corporate and property law also allows us to bring together the right expertise where family circumstances, business interests and wealth overlap. There is a real opportunity to build on those strengths and further establish Lodders as a leading adviser to individuals, families and business owners across Birmingham, the Midlands and beyond.”
Hands said: “Aasha’s appointment is a significant addition to our Family team. Aasha is an outstanding family lawyer who combines exceptional technical expertise with a strong reputation in Birmingham and across the UK, together with a client-first approach that reflects Lodders values.
“Her experience in complex financial, children and wealth protection matters will be invaluable as we continue to grow and develop our specialist family law offering. Aasha is also passionate about developing strong, successful teams and fostering a culture where people feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive. Her reputation and approach naturally attract talented lawyers who want to be part of a modern, ambitious and forward thinking practice, and her commitment to investing in and looking after people closely aligns with my own values. I am delighted we have the opportunity to work together.”
Choudhary also said: “Lodders has retained a real human and family feel, while also building a highly regarded and ambitious family law team. It is somewhere I feel I can make a meaningful contribution, help shape the next phase of growth and continue to build long-term relationships with clients and professional contacts across Birmingham, the Midlands and beyond.”
Demand in the family courts
The appointment comes as financial remedy and children work continues to rise in the family courts of England and Wales. According to the latest Ministry of Justice figures, there were 12,369 financial remedy applications between April and June 2026, up 4 per cent on the same period in 2025, of which 28 per cent were contested.
The number of new private law children cases rose by 11 per cent to 14,833 over the same quarter, while such cases took an average of 33 weeks to conclude, three weeks quicker than a year earlier. There were 26,834 divorce applications under the no-fault divorce legislation in the quarter, down 3 per cent year on year, the figures show.
Lodders Solicitors LLP has its registered office in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, according to Companies House.
