In short. Using bksingh.org does not make you a client of B.K. Singh & Associates, and nothing on the site is legal advice. We act for someone only after a conflict check and a written engagement with agreed fees. Site content is the firm's copyright, our liability for website information is limited, and these terms are governed by Indian law, with courts at New Delhi having jurisdiction.
These terms work together with our disclaimer, which explains Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules and why the site carries no advertising, and our privacy policy, which explains what happens to personal data you send us. If anything in these terms conflicts with an engagement letter we have signed with you, the engagement letter governs your matter.
We have written these terms in plain English, because terms nobody can read protect nobody. If any clause is unclear, ask us through the contact page before you rely on the site.
- Website owner
- B.K. Singh & Associates, Delhi NCR
- Nature of content
- General legal information, not advice
- When you become a client
- After a conflict check and written engagement
- Fees
- Agreed in writing, stage by stage
- Governing law
- The laws of India
- Courts with jurisdiction
- Courts at New Delhi
Who these terms apply to, and how you accept them
These terms apply to every visitor to bksingh.org, whether you read one page, send an enquiry, or click through to WhatsApp, phone or email. By using the site you agree to them. If you do not agree, please do not use the site; you can still reach the firm by visiting an office, where none of these website terms are needed.
The website belongs to B.K. Singh & Associates, a law practice led by Advocate B.K. Singh with Advocate Sadhna Singh as partner, with offices in Dwarka, New Delhi and Vaishali, Ghaziabad. More about the firm is on the about us page. References in these terms to we or the firm mean the practice and its advocates; you means the person using the site.
By accepting the Bar Council of India notice that appears on your first visit, you also confirm that you came to the site of your own accord, and that no one from the firm invited or induced you to visit it. That confirmation is a requirement of the professional rules, not a formality we added.
Is the information on this website legal advice?
No. The pages on this site explain the law and court procedure in general terms, so that readers can understand their position and ask better questions. Legal advice is different: it applies the law to your facts, your documents and your deadlines, and it comes from an advocate who has read your papers and agreed to act for you.
Two people with what looks like the same problem can need opposite advice. A cheque bounce complaint can be well founded or time-barred by a single day; a divorce on mutual consent can be straightforward or blocked by an undisclosed property dispute. The website cannot see those differences. So do not act, or decide not to act, on the basis of anything on this site without taking advice on your own situation.
The same applies to anything one of our advocates says informally before an engagement, such as a quick reply on WhatsApp or a general answer on a phone call. Those exchanges help you decide whether to engage a lawyer. They are not considered advice on which you should rely, because the advocate has not yet seen the full facts.
When do I become a client of the firm?
You become a client only when we have agreed in writing to act for you. Reading the site, sending an enquiry, calling, messaging on WhatsApp or meeting us for a first consultation does not by itself create an advocate-client relationship. Before we accept any matter we run a conflict check, consider whether we can do the work properly, and agree the scope and fees.
In court work, the engagement is completed by signing a vakalatnama, the document that authorises an advocate to appear and act for you in a particular case. For advisory work, such as drafting an agreement or a legal opinion, the engagement is recorded in an engagement letter or an email that sets out the work, the fee and what is not included. Until one of these exists, we are not responsible for your matter.
We may decline a matter, and we do not have to give reasons. Common reasons are a conflict of interest, a forum or subject outside our practice, or a deadline too close for the work to be done properly. Where we decline, we try to tell you quickly so that you can find another advocate in time.
How an engagement with B.K. Singh & Associates is formed
Every matter, large or small, goes through the same stages before we start work.
Enquiry
You contact us through the online enquiry form, by phone, WhatsApp, email or at an office. We note the names involved and any date on a notice, order or summons.
Conflict check
We check whether we act or have acted for anyone on the other side. If there is a conflict, we tell you that we cannot act, without disclosing anyone else's affairs.
First meeting
We read the papers and discuss your options, including whether court is the right step at all. Fees are discussed at this meeting, before any commitment on either side.
Written engagement
We set out the scope of work, the fee for each stage and the expected out-of-pocket costs in writing. For court matters you sign a vakalatnama; for advisory work, an engagement letter or a confirming email is enough.
Work begins
We start once the engagement is confirmed. From that point we are responsible for the matter within the agreed scope, and we keep you informed of each date and step.
If a matter changes shape, for example a reply to a notice turns into a suit, we agree the new stage in writing before starting it.
What if I send information before you agree to act?
We treat anything you send while seeking advice as confidential, even if we never act for you. But until the conflict check is done, we suggest you send only what is needed to identify the matter: the names of the parties, the kind of problem and any deadline. If the check shows a conflict, detailed papers you sent earlier may put us in a position where we cannot act for either side.
Sending us documents does not oblige us to take the matter or to review them in full. If we decline, we will not use what you sent for any purpose, and you can ask us to delete it under our privacy policy.
Deadlines, limitation and urgent matters
Legal deadlines keep running while you are deciding whom to engage. The thirty days to send a cheque bounce notice, the forty-five days to approach the DRT against a SARFAESI possession notice, the ninety days to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court: none of these stops because you have sent a lawyer an enquiry. Until we have agreed in writing to act, we are not responsible for any deadline in your matter.
If your matter is urgent, say so clearly. An arrest, a raid, a hearing tomorrow or a demolition notice should be phoned in on +91 96259 61599, not left in a form. We will tell you quickly whether we can take it and, if we cannot, what the immediate deadline appears to be so that you can act through someone else.
How fees and costs are agreed
The website never quotes fee amounts, as the Bar Council rules require. This is how fees are handled once you approach us.
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Professional fee | Discussed at the first meeting and agreed in writing, usually stage by stage (for example drafting and filing, then each hearing or a defined phase of the case) |
| Court fees | Payable to the court under the Court Fees Act and state rules; separate from our fee and paid at actuals |
| Stamp duty and registration | Payable to the state under its stamp law and the Registration Act 1908; separate from our fee |
| Typing, printing, certified copies, courier | Out-of-pocket costs, charged at actuals or as agreed in writing |
| Travel outside Delhi NCR | Agreed in advance for each trip |
| Associate counsel or Advocate-on-Record | Their fee is agreed with you before they are engaged |
| Receipts | Issued for every payment, with the stage or item it covers |
If the scope of work grows, for example because the other side files a counter-claim or an appeal, we agree the fee for the new stage before starting it. You are never billed for work you did not agree to.
Fees in writing, and what we do not do
We do not take fees as a share of what you recover, and we do not make our fee depend on the result. The Bar Council of India Rules forbid an advocate from stipulating a fee contingent on the outcome of litigation or agreeing to share in its proceeds, and we follow that rule. Our fee is for the work, not for the result.
We also do not promise outcomes or timelines. Courts decide cases, and the pace of a matter depends on the court's list, adjournments sought by the other side, and procedural steps that neither party controls. What we can commit to is the work: drafting on time, appearing on every date, and telling you plainly how the matter stands.
If you have a question about a bill, raise it with Advocate Sadhna Singh first, who handles accounts with clients. Most questions are about what a stage covered, and a written fee note settles them.
What we expect from you once you are a client
An engagement works only if both sides keep their part. We ask clients to tell us the full facts, including the awkward ones, because a fact the other side knows and we do not is the one that loses cases. Give us every notice, order and document you receive in the matter as soon as it arrives, and tell us at once if your address, phone number or email changes, since court notices go to the address on record.
Some steps only you can take. Courts often require the party to attend in person: for a statement in a mutual consent divorce, for mediation, for framing of notice in a criminal trial, or for evidence. Court fees and deposits ordered by a court, such as the pre-deposit for a DRAT appeal, must be paid in time or the remedy can be lost. If you are going to be unavailable on a date, tell us early so that we can seek an exemption properly rather than at the last minute.
Using the site from outside India
The site explains Indian law, mainly as it applies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. We do not advise on the law of any other country, and nothing on the site should be read as a statement about foreign law. If your matter involves a foreign court, a foreign decree or assets abroad, you will usually need a lawyer in that country as well, and we can work alongside them on the Indian side.
Many NRI clients instruct us by video call and email. Documents signed abroad for use in Indian courts, such as a power of attorney or an affidavit, generally need to be executed before a notary and apostilled or attested by the Indian mission, and some need adjudication of stamp duty after they arrive in India. We tell you the exact formalities before you sign anything, because a document executed in the wrong form usually has to be done again.
Acceptable use of the website
You may use bksingh.org for any lawful purpose connected with learning about the law or contacting the firm. You may not:
- Send false enquiries. Do not use the enquiry form to send spam, advertising, or enquiries in someone else's name.
- Impersonate anyone. Do not claim to be a client, a court official, a police officer or another advocate in order to get information.
- Interfere with the site. Do not try to hack, overload, probe for weaknesses, or upload malicious code, which may also be an offence under sections 43 and 66 of the IT Act 2000.
- Copy at scale. Do not scrape or bulk-download the site's content, or copy pages to another website.
- Misuse our name. Do not use the firm's name, the advocates' names or photographs to suggest that we endorse you, your business or a view we have not expressed.
- Solicit through us. Do not use the site to send us work proposals that would breach the Bar Council rules, such as offers to refer clients for a commission.
We may block access from any device or network that breaks these rules and report unlawful conduct to the cyber police.
Copyright and use of our content
The text, layout and design of this website are the firm's copyright under the Copyright Act 1957, unless stated otherwise. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created, with or without registration. Statutes, rules and court judgments quoted on the site are public documents and are not claimed by us; our explanations of them are.
You may read, print and share pages for your own use, and you may quote short extracts with a clear acknowledgment and a link to the page, which is the kind of fair dealing the Copyright Act allows for private use, research, criticism or review. You may not republish whole pages, copy them into another website, sell them, or present them as your own work or another firm's. If you want to use our content in a publication or a training session, ask us first.
The site describes common court formats, such as vakalatnamas, bail bonds and caveats, on the forms and formats page. Official formats are issued by courts and registries; the current version should always be checked with the court before filing, and you may ask us for the format we use.
Accuracy, changes in law and updates
We write the pages on this site carefully and review them, but the law changes and a website cannot change at the same moment. The replacement of the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act by the BNS, BNSS and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam on 1 July 2024 is a recent example: section numbers that people had used for decades changed overnight, and older cases still run under the old laws. Notifications, rules and court rulings can shift a position in weeks.
So the information on this site is offered as it stands, without any promise that it is complete, current or suitable for your situation. Where a page mentions a time limit, a monetary threshold or a fee rule, check the current statute, notification or court rule before relying on it. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.
Limitation of liability
To the extent the law permits, the firm and its advocates are not liable for any loss arising from your use of this website or from reliance on its content, including loss caused by a missed deadline, a decision taken on the basis of a general explanation, or the site being unavailable. The site is general information, offered free, to people we have not been able to advise, and it is not reasonable to treat it as a substitute for advice.
This limitation applies only to the website and to informal exchanges before an engagement. Once we have agreed in writing to act for you, our responsibility for your matter is governed by the engagement terms, the Advocates Act 1961 and the professional standards set by the Bar Council of India, and nothing in these website terms reduces it.
Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Indian law. If any clause is held unenforceable, the rest of these terms continue to apply.
Links, WhatsApp and third-party services
The site links to WhatsApp, to your phone dialler and to your email app, and some pages display an embedded Google Map and fonts served by Google. These services are run by others under their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for their availability, content or handling of your data, and a message sent through them reaches us only when it arrives.
We do not link to other websites from our content pages, and we do not accept payment for links or mentions. If you find a page elsewhere that claims to be ours or uses the firm's name to offer services, it is not ours; tell us and we will take it up.
Electronic communication and records
You agree that we may communicate with you about an enquiry or a matter by email, WhatsApp or SMS at the number or address you give us. Contracts formed by electronic means are recognised under section 10A of the Information Technology Act 2000, and an engagement letter accepted by email or signed with an electronic signature is as binding as one signed on paper.
Some documents still need paper or physical execution. A vakalatnama for many courts must be signed in ink, affidavits must be sworn before an oath commissioner or notary, and documents such as powers of attorney and conveyances of immovable property are outside the IT Act's electronic-record provisions. We tell you when a document must be signed in person.
Before you rely on anything on this site
A few checks save most of the trouble we see when people act on general information.
- Note the date on any notice, order, summons or return memo you have received. That date usually starts the clock.
- Check whether your matter began before 1 July 2024, because older criminal cases still run under the IPC and CrPC.
- Check the current version of any statute, rule or notification a page refers to.
- Remember that rules differ between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for stamp duty, rent, police procedure and tribunals.
- Do not assume the other side has no defence because a page describes your right in general terms.
- If you have a deadline within a week, phone an advocate instead of reading further.
Take a typical case
Here's a made-up example. A trader in Ghaziabad reads our cheque bounce page late one night, sends us a WhatsApp message with a photo of the return memo, and goes to sleep believing his matter is now with a lawyer. He hears nothing for two days because the message arrived on a Sunday and he gave no name or phone number we could match.
Under these terms, no engagement exists at that point: there has been no conflict check, no meeting and no written agreement, and the thirty days for the legal notice are still running. When he calls on Tuesday, we check the memo date, find there are twelve days left, agree the engagement and send the notice the same week. The lesson is simple. A message is not an engagement, and a deadline belongs to you until a lawyer has confirmed in writing that the matter is theirs.
Changing lawyers and getting your file back
You may end an engagement at any time and engage another advocate. We will give a no-objection for the change of vakalatnama, return your original documents, and hand over copies of the file so the new advocate can take over without delay. Fees for work already done under the agreed stages remain payable, and we will not hold your papers back to press for payment.
We may also withdraw from a matter for good reason, such as a conflict that comes to light later, instructions we cannot ethically follow, or a breakdown of trust. If we withdraw from a court matter, we give you reasonable notice so that you can engage another advocate before the next date, and we seek the court's leave where the rules require it.
Bar Council rules and how they shape these terms
Advocates in India practise under the Advocates Act 1961 and the Bar Council of India Rules. Rule 36 bars advocates from advertising or soliciting work, which is why this site carries no testimonials, no claims about results and no fee figures, and why the information here is given only to people who visit of their own accord. The site may carry the firm's name, contact details, qualifications and areas of practice, and it does.
If you believe an advocate has committed professional misconduct, the Advocates Act allows a complaint to the State Bar Council on whose roll the advocate is enrolled. We would rather hear of any concern directly first. Write to Advocate B.K. Singh, who will look at it personally and reply in writing.
Governing law, jurisdiction and disputes
These terms, and any dispute arising from your use of this website, are governed by the laws of India. Subject to any rule of law that gives jurisdiction elsewhere, the courts at New Delhi have exclusive jurisdiction over such disputes.
Before anyone goes to court over the website, we ask that the concern be raised with us in writing so we can try to resolve it. If that fails, both sides should consider mediation, which is quicker and cheaper than a suit; our page on alternate dispute resolution explains how it works. Disputes about a specific engagement are governed by that engagement's terms.
Changes to these terms and how to contact us
We may update these terms when the law, the Bar Council rules or the way the site works changes. The version on this page at the time you use the site is the one that applies. If a change affects an engagement already in progress, the engagement letter continues to govern that matter unless we both agree otherwise in writing.
Questions about these terms can go to advocates@legals365.com or +91 96259 61599, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm, or to either office in Dwarka, New Delhi or Vaishali, Ghaziabad. If you want to know how a matter would be handled before deciding whether to engage us, Advocate Sadhna Singh is usually the first person to speak to.
Frequently asked questions
Does sending an enquiry make me a client of the firm?
No. An enquiry, phone call, WhatsApp message or first meeting does not create an advocate-client relationship. You become a client only after a conflict check and a written engagement, which for court matters includes signing a vakalatnama. Until then, deadlines in your matter remain your responsibility.
Can I rely on information on a law firm's website?
Only as general background. Website pages explain the law in general terms and cannot account for your facts, documents or deadlines. Before acting, or deciding not to act, take advice from an advocate who has read your papers and agreed to handle your matter.
What is a vakalatnama and why do I need to sign one?
A vakalatnama is the document by which you authorise an advocate to appear and act for you in a particular case. Courts will not hear an advocate on your behalf without one on record. In Delhi it carries a welfare stamp, and it is usually signed in ink by the client.
Do you quote fees on the website?
No. The Bar Council of India rules do not allow advocates to advertise fees. We discuss fees at the first meeting, after understanding the matter, and agree them in writing stage by stage. Court fees, stamp duty and other out-of-pocket costs are separate and paid at actuals.
Can a lawyer in India take a percentage of the amount recovered?
No. The Bar Council of India Rules bar an advocate from stipulating a fee contingent on the result of litigation or agreeing to share in its proceeds. Fees must be for the work done. We follow that rule and agree a fee for each stage instead.
Is a legal fee agreement by email valid?
Yes. Section 10A of the Information Technology Act 2000 recognises contracts formed by electronic means, so an engagement letter accepted by email or signed electronically is binding. Some court documents, such as a vakalatnama or an affidavit, still need to be signed or sworn physically.
Do these terms stop me from changing my advocate during a case?
Yes, at any time. The outgoing advocate gives a no-objection for the change of vakalatnama, and the new advocate files a fresh one. Fees for work already done remain payable, but your papers should not be withheld. We return originals and hand over copies of the file promptly.
Can the firm refuse to take my case?
Yes. An advocate may decline a matter, for example because of a conflict of interest, a subject outside the practice, or a deadline too close to do the work properly. If we decline, we tell you quickly so that you can engage someone else in time.
Will you promise me a result or a date for my case?
No. Courts decide cases, and the pace depends on the court's list, adjournments and procedure that neither side controls. The Bar Council rules also bar advocates from promising results. We commit to the work: timely drafting, appearance on each date and plain reporting of where things stand.
Can I copy content from bksingh.org for my blog?
You may quote a short extract with clear acknowledgment and a link to the page. You may not republish whole pages, rewrite them as your own, or copy them to another site. For use in a publication or training material, write to us for permission first.
Who owns the copyright in this website?
B.K. Singh & Associates owns the copyright in the site's text, layout and design under the Copyright Act 1957. Statutes, rules and judgments quoted on the site are public documents and are not claimed by the firm; our explanations of them are the firm's work.
Is the firm liable if I miss a deadline after reading the website?
No. The website is general information and does not create an engagement, so the firm is not responsible for deadlines in matters it has not agreed in writing to handle. Once an engagement exists, our responsibility for your matter is governed by its terms and by professional rules.
Which court has jurisdiction over disputes about this website?
These terms are governed by Indian law, and subject to any rule that gives jurisdiction elsewhere, the courts at New Delhi have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes about use of the website. We ask that any concern be raised with us in writing first, and mediation considered before a suit.
How do I complain about an advocate's conduct?
Raise it with the advocate or firm first, in writing; most concerns are misunderstandings about scope or fees. If that does not resolve it, the Advocates Act 1961 allows a complaint of professional misconduct to the State Bar Council where the advocate is enrolled.
Why does the website ask me to accept a Bar Council notice?
Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules bars advocates from soliciting work. The notice records that you visited of your own accord and that nobody from the firm invited you. It is shown once, and your browser remembers that you accepted it.
Can I send my case papers before you agree to act?
You can, and we keep them confidential either way. But until the conflict check is done, send only the names of the parties, the type of problem and any deadline. Detailed papers sent before the check can create difficulties if it turns out we act for the other side.
Do out-of-pocket costs form part of the lawyer's fee?
No. Court fees, stamp duty, registration charges, certified copy charges, typing, courier and travel outside Delhi NCR are separate from the professional fee. We tell you the expected costs in writing and give receipts for what we pay on your behalf.
Are your website pages updated when the law changes?
We review pages and update them when we notice a change, but a website cannot change at the same moment as the law. The move from IPC and CrPC to BNS and BNSS in July 2024 shows how quickly section numbers shift. Check the current statute before relying on a page.
Can I use WhatsApp to give instructions in my case?
Yes, for routine instructions and documents, once you are a client and the engagement is in writing. For decisions with serious consequences, such as settling, withdrawing a case or making a statement, we confirm your instructions in writing or in person so that there is no misunderstanding.
What happens to my documents if I end the engagement?
We return your originals, give you copies of the file and provide a no-objection for the change of vakalatnama in court matters. We keep copies for our records for the period described in our privacy policy, then delete them. Fees for completed stages remain payable.