“Paul Cobley has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s foremost specialists in pensions on divorce, bringing rare technical expertise and practical clarity to one of the most complex areas of family finance. His longstanding commitment to helping separating couples, family lawyers and mediators achieve fair, informed outcomes has made him a trusted and influential figure at the intersection of financial planning and family law.”

Fantastic Lawyers® Editorial 2026

Paul Cobley CFP MCSI is a Chartered Financial Planner and Certified Financial Planner at Pembroke Financial Services, with more than 38 years of financial services experience and a nationally recognised specialism in pensions on divorce.

Working closely with family lawyers, mediators and separating couples, Paul helps untangle one of the most technically complex parts of relationship breakdown: how pensions should be valued, shared and structured fairly.

What Paul Cobley does

Paul specialises in financial planning and expert support in matters involving:

• Pensions on divorce
• Pension sharing analysis
• Divorce financial planning
• Pension offsetting strategy
• Retirement planning in divorce settlements
• Financial remedy support for family law cases
• Pension transfer analysis
• Collaborative family law financial input
• Family mediation financial support

He is particularly sought after in technically difficult divorce cases where pension complexity materially affects the fairness of a settlement.

Why he stands out

Paul stands out because pensions on divorce is not a side interest. It is a long-established core specialism.

He was one of the first financial advisers in the UK to become accredited by Resolution as a Divorce Specialist in 2006, placing him among the pioneers in this niche field.

He is also a founding member of Positive Divorce Solutions and works at the intersection of financial planning, mediation and family law problem-solving.

His unusual background, from army musician to highly respected financial specialist, adds a distinctive human dimension to a deeply technical area of expertise.

Recognition and trust signals

• Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
• Chartered Financial Planner
• Member of the Pension Advisory Group
• Member of Resolution’s Pensions, Tax and Financial Remedies Committee
• Adviser for The Pensions Ombudsman
• Regular speaker at family law conferences
• Resolution accredited divorce specialist (early cohort)

“Paul has assisted me in several difficult pension cases and every time I have instructed him, I have been pleased with the results. He is always happy to help and an expert in his field.” – Amy Scollan, family lawyer

Professional background

Paul has worked in financial services for more than 38 years, following an earlier career as an army musician.

Since becoming a financial adviser in 2002, he has developed a highly regarded specialist practice focused on pensions and divorce. He founded Oak Barn Financial Planning in 2012, which later became part of Pembroke Financial Services.

His expertise spans advisory practice, pension technical work and family law collaboration.

Thought leadership and sector contribution

Paul is an active contributor to the family law and pensions conversation, regularly speaking at conferences and contributing insight on evolving pensions law and divorce practice.

His role on the Pension Advisory Group and Resolution’s specialist committee places him close to the development of best practice in this field.