About Shakti (Legal Solutions)
In Hindu mythology, Shakti is the divine energy responsible for creation and dynamic forces in the universe.
We all have the right to seek justice, but that doesn’t mean everyone has access to those rights. In fact, Every year, nearly 8.5 million Australians have a legal problem but less than half access legal help. We appreciate obtaining legal assistance can be difficult for many reasons but ‘inadequate funding of legal assistance services’ and ‘affordability of legal representation’ have consistently been identified as barriers to access to justice. While community legal centres and Legal Aid centres exist and provide free legal help, these organisations are often under-funded, under-resourced and as a result, unable to help everyone that seeks their assistance. Then there are people who are neither eligible for free legal assistance nor in a position to pay traditional lawyer fees. This is the ‘missing middle,’ and together, these issues contribute to the access to justice gap.
And so, Shakti Legal Solutions was created; a dynamic force emboldened by a divine energy and purpose– improving access to justice.
Our Core Values
Accessibility
Skin colour, race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, geographical location and financial means should not be barriers to accessing justice. The heart of Shakti Legal Solutions is in making legal help more accessible. We work with you, other firms and the community at large to bridge the gaps between education, awareness and access to justice
Affordability
Our overheads are low and so are our fees. We use technology to improve efficacy and efficiency. This allows us to use our legal training for more strategic tasks; i.e., finding creative and cost-effective solutions for our clients. We’ve also created an innovative business model which includes sliding scale pricing
Collaboration
Access to justice is not a single-issue problem, that's why we work to bridge the justice gap on an individual basis (with one-on-one client services), with firms (using our low-bono and pro-bono model) and the community (by engaging in outreach work).
Sheetal's Shakti
I am a first generation Canadian. My parents were born in Fiji and we come from a lineage of indentured labourers from India.
At the age of 17, I moved out on my own and pursued an undergraduate degree with a focus on philosophy and political science. I undertook various gender and political studies. I learned about intersectionality, feminism, racism and the systems which oppress our societies.
I completed my Juris Doctors (law degree), Masters of Law degree and formal legal training in Australia with the intention to gain power and prestige. Upon being admitted as a lawyer, I understood that often that power and privilege comes at the expense or oppression of others. Since then, my intentions and interests have shifted from income to impact. I want to leverage my platform and privilege to support others against the systems and structures which oppress them.
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I’m acutely aware that my life is a product of the privileges I enjoy, the opportunities I’ve been given, the sacrifices of my parents and of course, a fair bit of hard work. So, I started Shakti Legal Solutions to leverage my privilege and facilitate access to justice for as many people as possible.
After all, what’s the point in having a law degree if you can’t help others access basic legal needs?
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We offer ‘legal triage services’ for all areas of law, with particular experience in traffic law, debt disputes, litigation, migration, property (residential and commercial), family and criminal law.
I speak fluent English, Fijian-Hindi and Hindi and have basic language skills in Urdu, Punjabi and French.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation.
Send me an email or leave your contact details via the contact form and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours!