Shiva started life at the bar in a general common law chambers and gained broad experience in criminal and civil work including family for the first 9 years of her practice. Her developing family practice and her growing reputation resulted in a move to a specialist family set in 2000 and the decision to practice exclusively in family law.

She has extensive experience in care proceedings and undertakes very complex cases including non-accidental injury cases. She also regularly represents vulnerable parents at times through the Official Solicitor.

Shiva is well known at the family bar as a forceful and persuasive advocate who fights very hard for her clients. She is very good at gaining the confidence and trust of both her solicitors and clients.

Shiva also undertakes forced marriage, child abduction work and adoptions.

Shiva has a growing arbitration practice and her wealth of experience in private children matters as well as her fair approach make her ideally suited for children’s arbitration work.

She has lectured to social workers and solicitors over a number of years on a range of developments in family law as well as providing training to social workers on court procedure and giving evidence.

Outside of work, Shiva is a former trustee of Wycombe Women’s Aid.

‘Shiva is an excellent barrister, with a really no-nonsense approach. She’s committed to her clients and is sensible and pragmatic. She’s good when tensions are quite high in a case’ Chambers and Partners 2019