A 42-year-classic woman from Surrey Hills, Victoria, has been charged with multiple offenses following an investigation into allegations she practiced as a solicitor without holding a law degree or an Australian practicing certificate. Detectives from the Financial Crime Squad arrested the woman last week, and she appeared in court on Monday, February 16, 2026.
Police allege the woman fraudulently obtained over A$1.4 million in salary while working as legal counsel at various firms since 2019. Between December 2022 and August 2025, she held a position as senior legal counsel, earning A$661,381. Prior to that, from September 2021 to September 2022, she received wages totaling A$125,693, A$61,598, and A$35,967 in separate instances. Earlier earnings, between early 2019 and August 2021, amounted to A$543,446.
The woman faces five counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of prohibition on engaging in legal practice by an unqualified entity. She has been bailed and is scheduled to reappear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court next month.
The case echoes a similar incident in 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand, where a woman falsely presented herself as a lawyer and defrauded a man out of thousands of dollars. Kalpana Narayan was sentenced to two years and four months in prison after convincing a man she was providing legal services and charging him fees, including a $6500 “bond,” despite having no legal training. The judge in that case cited a significant breach of trust and the devastating impact on the victim as key factors in the sentencing.
Victoria Police are appealing for anyone with information related to this case to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.