Areas of practice: which kind of lawyer your problem needs

Which kind of lawyer do I need for my problem?

Start with the result you want, not the label on the dispute. If you want money, the question is whether a civil suit, a summary suit, a consumer complaint, an arbitration or a tribunal claim will get it fastest. If you want someone stopped, from building on your land or using your brand, you need an injunction. If you want a person punished, or you are the one accused, it is a criminal matter. If you want a government decision reversed, it is usually a writ or a tribunal application.

Then look for a date. Almost every legal problem in India has a clock: thirty days to send a cheque bounce notice, forty-five days to challenge a SARFAESI possession notice before the DRT, two years to file a consumer complaint, three years for most money claims. The date on a notice, order or return memo often decides which remedies are still open, so find it before anything else.

Finally, think about the other side. A builder, a bank, a government department, an employer, a spouse and a stranger online are each dealt with through different forums. The sections below go area by area, so you can find the one that matches the person or body you are dealing with and the remedy you want.

Practice areas at a glance

A quick guide to what each area covers and where cases usually go. Most matters start in the district courts or the relevant tribunal; the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court come in on appeal, on writs, or above certain values.

Civil disputes: money, property and contracts

Civil law covers disputes between private parties where the remedy is money, a declaration, an order to do or not do something, or possession of property. Our civil law practice page sets out the process under the Code of Civil Procedure 1908: plaint, written statement, issues, evidence and decree, and the shortcuts that exist, such as summary suits under Order 37 for debts on written contracts and cheques.

In Delhi, which court hears a suit depends on its value. Suits above ₹2 crore go to the original side of the Delhi High Court; smaller suits go to the district courts at Tis Hazari, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, Patiala House and Rouse Avenue. Courts in Noida and Ghaziabad follow the Uttar Pradesh pecuniary limits. Disputes of a commercial nature worth ₹3 lakh or more go to the commercial courts and must, unless urgent interim relief is sought, first go through pre-institution mediation under section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act 2015.

Criminal cases: FIRs, bail, trial and quashing

Criminal law applies when the state prosecutes an offence, and we act for complainants as well as for the accused. Since 1 July 2024, offences are defined by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, procedure by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and evidence by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, though cases registered earlier generally continue under the IPC and CrPC. Our criminal law practice page walks through the whole process, from FIR to appeal.

Three questions come up first in almost every criminal matter. Can I be arrested, and can I get bail or anticipatory bail under section 482 BNSS? Can the FIR be quashed by the High Court under section 528 BNSS, for example after a settlement? And if the police will not register my complaint, can a magistrate direct an investigation under section 175(3)? The answers depend on the offence, the evidence and the stage, which is why the papers matter more than the headline.

Family matters: divorce, maintenance and custody

Family law covers marriage, separation, maintenance, custody and protection from domestic violence. Our family and divorce law page explains mutual consent divorce under section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act (petition after one year of separation, with the six-month wait that the court can waive), contested divorce on grounds such as cruelty and desertion, and the equivalent provisions under the Special Marriage Act and personal laws.

Family disputes rarely stay in one case. A wife's maintenance claim under section 144 BNSS, a domestic violence case under the 2005 Act, a custody petition under the Guardians and Wards Act and a criminal complaint for cruelty can all run at once, in different courts. Delhi's family courts sit inside the district court complexes, and each has a mediation centre. Where both sides are willing, a settlement that covers every case together is usually better than winning one and losing three.

Consumer complaints and builder delays

Consumer law protects buyers of goods and services against defects, deficient service and unfair trade practices. Our consumer and competition laws page covers complaints under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 against builders, insurers, hospitals, banks, airlines and e-commerce sellers.

The forum depends on what you paid, not on what you claim. The District Commission hears cases up to ₹50 lakh, the State Commission from ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore, and the NCDRC above ₹2 crore. A complaint must be filed within two years of the cause of action, and can be filed online on the e-Jagriti portal. Consumer commissions are meant to be quicker and cheaper than civil courts, and for claims up to ₹5 lakh there is no filing fee, but they cannot decide disputes that need detailed evidence on title or fraud.

Property and real estate: RERA, title and possession

Real estate work covers buying, selling and possessing property, and disputes with builders. Our real estate and infrastructure laws page covers RERA complaints, title verification, registration and stamp duty, and infrastructure contracts.

A homebuyer facing delay has three main routes: a complaint to the RERA authority (Delhi RERA, UP RERA or Haryana RERA at Gurugram) seeking refund with interest or interest for the delay under section 18 of the RERA Act 2016; a consumer complaint; or, where many buyers act together, insolvency proceedings against the builder. The Supreme Court in Newtech Promoters (2021) confirmed that buyers may choose between RERA and the consumer commission. Title disputes, partition and illegal possession, on the other hand, belong in the civil courts.

Companies, shareholders and directors

Corporate law covers the running of companies and the disputes inside them. Our corporate law practice page deals with oppression and mismanagement petitions before the NCLT under sections 241 and 242 of the Companies Act 2013, directors' duties under section 166, removal of directors, share transfers and ROC compliance.

Shareholder disputes in family companies and small private companies are among the hardest to resolve, because the business, the family and the money are tangled together. The NCLT can regulate the company's affairs, order a buy-out or set aside oppressive acts, but the petitioner must usually hold 10% of the share capital or be one of 100 members, a threshold the tribunal can waive. Insolvency petitions under the IBC also go to the NCLT; these are handled on our consultancy side for planning and on the corporate side when contested.

Online fraud, hacking and cyber defamation

Cyber law covers offences and disputes that happen through phones, computers and the internet. Our cyber laws page deals with offences under the IT Act 2000, such as identity theft under section 66C and cheating by impersonation under section 66D, and with the BNS offences of cheating, extortion and defamation when they happen online.

Speed matters more here than in almost any other area. If money has been taken through a UPI or card fraud, report it on the 1930 helpline or cybercrime.gov.in at once, because the banks can freeze the money only while it is still moving. Intimate images shared without consent must be removed by platforms within two hours of a complaint under the IT Rules 2021 as amended in February 2026. Advocate B.K. Singh's computer science background is most useful in this area, in reading electronic evidence and checking whether the certificate required by section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam is in order.

Banks, loans, SARFAESI and insurance claims

Banking and insurance work covers disputes with lenders and insurers, mostly from the borrower's or policyholder's side. Our banking and insurance laws page covers SARFAESI notices, DRT recovery cases, one-time settlements, the RBI ombudsman and insurance claim rejections.

A SARFAESI demand notice under section 13(2) gives a borrower sixty days, and the objection under section 13(3A) must be answered by the bank within fifteen days. Once the bank takes possession under section 13(4), the borrower has forty-five days to apply to the DRT under section 17. Recovery claims of ₹20 lakh and above by banks go to the DRT, and appeals to the DRAT need a pre-deposit. For insurance, the order of escalation is usually the insurer's grievance cell, then the Insurance Ombudsman or a consumer commission.

Trademark and copyright disputes

Intellectual property work protects names, logos, writing, designs and software. Our trademark and copyright laws page covers infringement under section 29 of the Trade Marks Act 1999, passing off, oppositions, and copyright claims under the Copyright Act 1957.

The Delhi High Court has a dedicated IP Division and is one of the busiest forums in the country for brand disputes; interim injunctions are often decided within the first few hearings. Registration work itself, such as filing a trademark or replying to an examination report, is on the consultancy side. The practical point is the same in both: the earlier you act after discovering a copy, the stronger the case for an injunction, because delay is read as acceptance.

Employment, wages and workplace complaints

Labour law covers the relationship between employers and workers. Our labour and industrial laws page covers the four Labour Codes, which came into force on 21 November 2025 and replaced 29 older labour laws, together with termination, wages, gratuity, provident fund and POSH complaints.

The first question is whether the person counts as a workman under industrial law or as managerial or supervisory staff. A workman's termination dispute goes through conciliation and then to an industrial tribunal; a manager's dispute is usually a contract claim in a civil court. State rules under the new Codes are still being notified, so the exact forms and authorities can vary between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for some time.

Arbitration clauses and commercial disputes

Arbitration is private adjudication by an arbitrator chosen under a contract clause. Our arbitration and conciliation page covers the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996: interim relief from the court under section 9 or the tribunal under section 17, appointment of an arbitrator by the High Court under section 11, challenge to an award under section 34, and enforcement under section 36.

If your contract has an arbitration clause, a civil suit on the same dispute will usually be referred to arbitration under section 8 when the other side asks. That makes the clause the first thing to read in any commercial dispute. A challenge to an award must be filed within three months, with a further thirty days only for sufficient cause; after that, the award stands and can be enforced like a decree.

Government service matters and the CAT

Service law covers the employment disputes of government employees: suspension, charge-sheets, penalties, promotion, seniority, pay fixation, transfer and pension. Our service laws and CAT practice page explains the Administrative Tribunals Act 1985 and the procedure before the Central Administrative Tribunal, whose Principal Bench sits in New Delhi.

Central Government employees go to the CAT, and must usually exhaust departmental remedies, such as an appeal or representation, before applying. The limitation period is one year, with a longer window if a representation has been pending for six months. Delhi government staff generally go to the Delhi High Court, and Uttar Pradesh government staff to the UP State Public Services Tribunal. Orders of the CAT are challenged before a Division Bench of the High Court.

When does a case go to the Supreme Court?

A case reaches the Supreme Court in three main ways: a special leave petition under Article 136 against a High Court or tribunal decision, a writ petition under Article 32 for the violation of a fundamental right, or a transfer petition, common in matrimonial cases where the wife seeks transfer of a case to her city. Our Supreme Court practice page explains each route and the procedure.

An SLP must be filed within ninety days of the High Court's judgment, and only an Advocate-on-Record can file it, though other advocates can argue. Most SLPs are decided at the admission stage, so the petition has to show a substantial question of law or a serious injustice in the first few pages. A Supreme Court petition is not a second appeal on facts, and it is worth hearing an honest view on its chances before the paper book is prepared.

Time limits that decide many cases

These are the general periods. Exceptions, extensions and condonation of delay exist for most of them, so treat this as a warning list, not advice on your deadline.

When your problem fits more than one area

Overlaps are normal, and the choice between forums is often the most important decision in the case. A bounced cheque given for a loan supports both a criminal complaint under section 138 and a civil summary suit; many people run both, because the criminal case pressures payment while the suit secures a decree. A builder's delay can go to RERA, the consumer commission or, with enough buyers, the NCLT. A cheating dispute between business partners can be framed as an FIR or as a civil suit, and courts are quick to quash FIRs that are really civil disputes in disguise.

Some choices close others. Filing in one forum can bar the same relief in another, an arbitration clause can take a dispute out of the civil courts, and a settlement in one case may need to cover the others to be worth signing. Advocate B.K. Singh's first question in a mixed matter is usually which single proceeding will move the other side most, and whether the rest can wait. Running five cases at once is expensive and rarely necessary.

How we take on a matter in any practice area

The steps are the same whatever the area.

1. Tell us what happened

   Send a short note through the online enquiry page, WhatsApp, a call or an office visit. Mention any date on a notice, order, summons or return memo, because that decides how quickly we must act.

2. Conflict check and first reading

   We check that we do not act for the other side, then read the papers you send. Advocate Sadhna Singh usually handles this stage and identifies the deadlines.

3. First meeting

   We meet in Dwarka or Vaishali, or by video call, and go through the options, including whether to go to court at all. Fees are discussed at this meeting and agreed in writing, stage by stage.

4. Drafting and filing

   We draft the notice, complaint, petition or reply, check it with you line by line, and file it in the right forum with the supporting documents and court fee.

5. Hearings and updates

   We appear on each date, tell you what happened the same day, and note the next date and what is needed for it. Where a matter needs associate counsel or an Advocate-on-Record, we tell you first.

What to bring, whatever the area

Bring copies, not originals, unless we ask. Missing documents can usually be obtained later, so do not delay a first meeting for them.

When not to go to court

Litigation is slow and expensive in every Indian court, and a sound case can still take years. If the amount is small, a firm legal notice and a negotiated settlement often recover more, net of costs, than a decree after three years. If the other side has no assets, a decree may not be worth the paper. If the relationship matters, as in a family business or a long-term supplier, mediation at the court-annexed centres or through a Lok Adalat is usually the better first step.

We will tell you when we think court is the wrong answer, and when a case is weak. That is not caution for its own sake. An honest view at the start is cheaper than a lost case at the end, and a matter you decide not to file costs you nothing more.

Fees, time and who works on your matter

Every matter is handled by the firm's two advocates. Advocate B.K. Singh, with more than twenty years in practice, leads on strategy and appears in the higher courts and tribunals; Advocate Sadhna Singh runs the file day to day, drafts the pleadings and keeps you informed. Where a case needs it, for example in another state or for Supreme Court filing, we work with associate counsel and Advocates-on-Record, and tell you before we do.

We do not quote fees on the website. They are discussed at the first meeting once we understand the matter, and agreed in writing for each stage. Court fees, stamp duty and other out-of-pocket costs are separate. As for time, we can tell you how long each step usually takes in the court concerned, but no advocate can honestly promise when a court will decide a case.