Terms & Conditions

01.Definitions

In these Terms, the following definitions apply:

• "Practice" / "Vakil Prime" / "We" / "Us" / "Our" — refers to Vakil Prime, a legal practice operating in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• "Client" / "You" / "Your" — refers to any individual, business entity, partnership, company, or organization that uses this website, contacts the Practice, or engages the Practice for any legal service.
• "Services" — refers to all legal, documentation, advisory, and court representation services offered by Vakil Prime as described on this website or communicated to the Client.
• "Website" — refers to the Vakil Prime website located at vakilprime.com and all its subpages, digital assets, and associated digital communications.
• "Engagement" — refers to the commencement of a formal attorney-client or service-provider relationship between the Practice and the Client, upon acceptance of a fee proposal or receipt of an advance payment.
• "Court Working Days" — refers to days on which the applicable court, registrar office, or government department is officially open and conducting scheduled proceedings, excluding Sundays, gazetted national and state public holidays, court recesses, judicial strikes, and court-declared non-working days.
• "Professional Fees" — refers to the fees charged by the Practice for professional legal services, excluding applicable government fees, court fees, stamp duty, newspaper publication charges, and any third-party charges.

02.Commencement of Engagement

An engagement with Vakil Prime formally commences upon the earliest of the following events: (a) the Client's written acceptance (via WhatsApp, email, or other written medium) of a specific fee proposal or service brief provided by the Practice; or (b) receipt by the Practice of any advance payment, retainer, or fee from the Client for a defined scope of work.

Preliminary enquiries, consultations, requests for fee proposals, and exploratory WhatsApp conversations do not constitute a formal engagement. The Practice is under no obligation to act or deliver any service until a formal engagement has been established as described above.

The Practice reserves the right to decline to take on any matter at its sole discretion, including but not limited to matters involving a conflict of interest, ethical concerns, lack of jurisdiction, or resource constraints, without being required to provide reasons for such refusal.

03.Professional Fees

Any preliminary fee estimates provided during consultations are indicative estimates based on standard, uncomplicated cases. The actual professional fee for any specific engagement will be individually assessed and formally communicated to the Client prior to commencement of work.

Final professional fees may vary from initial estimates for the following reasons, which are not exhaustive:

• The complexity, volume, or legal novelty of the matter.
• The number of court hearings, government office visits, or third-party interventions required.
• Expedited turnaround requirements specified by the Client.
• Changes in applicable government fees, court fees, stamp duty rates, or newspaper publication charges after the fee proposal date.
• Additional documentation or scope of work required after initial assessment.
• Multiple districts, jurisdictions, or authorities involved in the same matter.

Payment of Professional Fees: Unless specifically agreed otherwise in writing, Professional Fees are payable in advance or as per the payment schedule agreed in the engagement communication. The Practice may require a partial advance before commencing work and the balance upon completion or at defined milestones.

Third-Party Charges: Government fees, court filing fees, stamp duty, newspaper publication charges, notary charges, and any other statutory or third-party charges are additional to our Professional Fees. These amounts are collected from the Client at cost and are not subject to negotiation or discount by the Practice.

All amounts are stated and payable in Indian Rupees (INR). The Practice is not responsible for any currency conversion losses incurred by Non-Resident Indian (NRI) or overseas clients.

04.Service Timelines & Delivery

The following factors may delay service delivery beyond the estimates communicated. The Practice bears no liability for any delay arising from:

• Court Schedules, Recesses, and Holidays: Indian courts, including the Varanasi District Court, observe extended vacation periods (summer, winter, Dussehra, Diwali, Holi), national and state gazetted holidays, and may declare unexpected non-working days due to local, regional, or national events.
• Judicial Strikes and Work Stoppages: Bar associations across Uttar Pradesh, including the Varanasi District Bar Association, may call working stoppages, strikes, or protests in response to judicial, legislative, or political developments. All court-dependent timelines are automatically suspended for the duration of any such work stoppage and resume only when the court resumes normal functioning.
• Government Office Delays: Delays at the Sub-Registrar Office, Varanasi Nagar Nigam, Tehsildar offices, UPMSP (UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad), SHCIL e-stamp centres, Government of Uttar Pradesh Gazette office, and any other government authority in processing, verifying, or issuing required documents or orders.
• Third-Party Dependencies: Delays caused by newspaper publishers (for name change advertisements), courier and postal services, government portals (such as RTI Online, FoSCoS/FSSAI Portal, UP IGRS Portal, Parivahan Portal), or any other third-party service provider.
• Client-Side Delays: Failure by the Client to provide required documents, information, approvals, or payments on time. Any delay attributable to the Client automatically extends the delivery timeline by a corresponding period.
• Case Complexity: Matters that turn out to be more complex than initially assessed, require additional research, involve disputed parties, attract objections, or require escalation to appellate authorities.
• Technical Failures: Downtime, maintenance, or errors affecting government online portals, digital signature infrastructure, SHCIL e-stamp systems, or payment gateways.
• Resource Availability: Unavailability of our legal personnel due to simultaneous urgent court matters, personal exigencies, illness, or other professional commitments. The Practice will communicate any such delay promptly.

The Practice commits to notifying the Client, via WhatsApp or other agreed communication channel, of any material delay beyond the originally estimated timeline, along with a revised expected completion date wherever possible. The Client acknowledges and agrees that delays caused by the above factors do not constitute a breach of contract or grounds for claiming a refund of Professional Fees already incurred.

05.Force Majeure & Court Disruptions

The Practice shall not be held liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations where such failure or delay results from any event, circumstance, or cause beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God; natural disasters; floods; epidemics or pandemics; governmental restrictions, orders, or lock-downs; nationwide or state-wide internet shutdowns; power outages; civil unrest; terrorist incidents; court closures ordered by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad or the Supreme Court of India; or any other circumstance constituting force majeure under the laws of India.

In the event of force majeure, our obligations shall be suspended for the duration of the event. The Practice will inform the Client as soon as reasonably practicable and will resume performance as soon as the force majeure event ceases.

06.No Guarantee of Legal Outcomes

Legal outcomes are ultimately determined by courts, quasi-judicial bodies, magistrates, government officials, and other independent third parties over whom the Practice exercises no control. our engagement covers professional legal expertise, drafting, representation, and diligent pursuit of the Client's matter. It does not guarantee success, a favourable order, or a specific timeline for resolution by any court or government authority.

Any estimate, opinion, or verbal or written assessment provided by the Practice regarding the likely outcome of a legal matter is professional opinion only and does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of any kind.

07.Website Accuracy & BCI Disclaimer

The information published on this Website, including but not limited to service descriptions, fee ranges, turnaround estimates, legal process summaries, and statutory references, is provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Bar Council of India Compliance (Rule 36): In accordance with the rules of the Bar Council of India, advocates are prohibited from soliciting work or advertising. This Website is not intended to be a source of advertising or solicitation and the contents of this Website should not be construed as legal advice. By accessing this Website, you acknowledge that there has been no solicitation, invitation, or inducement of any sort whatsoever from the Practice to create an advocate-client relationship through this Website.

While Vakil Prime endeavours to keep the information on this Website accurate and current, we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, timeliness, reliability, suitability, or availability of the information, services, or related content on this Website. The Website may contain typographical errors, factual inaccuracies, outdated legal information, or technical errors.

Indian laws, regulations, court rules, government fee structures, and administrative procedures change frequently. Information that was accurate at the time of publication may become outdated. The Client is strongly advised to verify all information by directly consulting with the Practice before making any decision based on the content of this Website.

Links to third-party websites, portals, or resources (such as government portals, legal databases, or news articles) are provided for convenience only. Vakil Prime does not endorse, control, or take responsibility for the content, availability, or accuracy of any third-party website.

08.Client Obligations

The Client agrees and undertakes to:

• Provide Accurate Information: Furnish complete, accurate, and authentic information, documents, and instructions to the Practice in a timely manner. The Practice shall not be held responsible for any error, delay, rejection, or adverse outcome arising from inaccurate, incomplete, forged, or misleading documents or information provided by the Client.
• Cooperate in the Matter: Be available for consultation, document signing, verification, and any other action reasonably required by the Practice to advance the Client's matter.
• Make Timely Payments: Pay all agreed Professional Fees, government charges, and third-party costs as per the agreed payment schedule. Non-payment or delayed payment may result in suspension of services.
• Not Conceal Material Facts: Disclose all facts, prior legal proceedings, existing disputes, contradictory documents, and any information that may be materially relevant to the matter. Concealment of relevant information may adversely affect the Client's matter and relieves the Practice of any resulting liability.
• Indemnification: The Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Vakil Prime, its proprietor, associates, and staff from any claims, damages, penalties, costs, or losses arising from the Client's own misrepresentation, provision of false documents, fraudulent instructions, or unlawful conduct.
• Lawful Use of Services: Not engage our services for any purpose that is unlawful, fraudulent, or contrary to the laws of India or the professional ethics of the Bar Council of India.

09.Confidentiality

The Practice maintains strict confidentiality of all Client information and documents shared during the course of an engagement, in accordance with the professional duties prescribed by the Bar Council of India Rules and the Advocates Act, 1961.

Client-privileged communications and documents will not be shared with any third party without the Client's express written consent, except: (a) as required by a lawful court order or legal obligation; (b) as necessary with authorized courts, registrar offices, or government authorities for the purpose of advancing the Client's matter; or (c) with co-counsels or associates within the Practice who are engaged in the same matter on a strict need-to-know basis.

The Client, in turn, agrees to keep confidential any strategies, legal advice, or proprietary processes shared by the Practice in the course of the engagement and not to disclose them to third parties without our consent.

10.Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Vakil Prime be liable to the Client for:

• Any indirect, consequential, incidental, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profit, loss of business opportunity, loss of revenue, or reputational damage.
• Any delay, rejection, or adverse decision by a court, government authority, or third-party institution beyond our reasonable control.
• Any loss, damage, or liability arising from inaccurate, incomplete, or fraudulent information or documents provided by the Client.
• Any delay or failure in service delivery caused by force majeure events, court disruptions, judicial strikes, or government portal outages as described in these Terms.
• The content, accuracy, or outcome of any third-party service, government portal, or judicial process.
• Reliance by the Client on any general information published on this Website without specific professional advice from the Practice.

Nothing in these Terms shall exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by proven negligence, or any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under the laws of India.

11.Refund & Cancellation Policy

Government and Third-Party Charges: All amounts paid toward government fees (court fees, stamp duty, registration charges), gazette publication fees, newspaper advertisement costs, and other statutory or third-party charges are strictly non-refundable once incurred, regardless of the outcome or cancellation of the engagement.

Professional Fees — Cancellation by Client:

• If the Client cancels an engagement before the Practice has commenced any work on the matter, the Practice will refund the advance Professional Fee in full, less any applicable bank/payment processing charges.
• If the Client cancels after the Practice has commenced work (including but not limited to drafting, research, office visits, or court filings), the Practice reserves the right to retain Professional Fees proportional to the work completed. The Practice shall provide an accounting of work done and charges retained.
• Once a legal document has been drafted, filed with a court, or submitted to a government authority on behalf of the Client, no refund of Professional Fees is applicable for that stage of service.

Withdrawal by Practice: If the Practice withdraws from an engagement for reasons attributable to the Practice (other than Client misconduct, misrepresentation, or force majeure), the Practice will refund any unearned portion of the Professional Fees retained for services not yet delivered.

12.Intellectual Property

All content on this Website — including but not limited to text, service descriptions, process documentation, design elements, graphics, logos, and the Vakil Prime name and trademark — is the exclusive intellectual property of Vakil Prime and is protected under the Copyright Act, 1957, and applicable Indian intellectual property laws.

You may access and use this Website for personal, non-commercial reference only. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, modify, distribute, or commercially exploit any part of this Website's content without the express prior written consent of Vakil Prime.

Legal documents drafted by the Practice specifically for a Client (such as agreements, notices, or petitions) are delivered for the Client's exclusive use in the stated matter. These documents may not be resold, repurposed for commercial gain, or adapted for use in unrelated matters.

13.Governing Law

These Terms and all engagements between the Client and Vakil Prime shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, including but not limited to the Advocates Act 1961, the Contract Act 1872, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 (where applicable), the Information Technology Act 2000, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

The laws of any other state, country, or jurisdiction shall not apply, even if the Client is physically located outside India or the communication originated from outside India.

14.Dispute Resolution

The Practice values every client relationship and is committed to resolving any dissatisfaction, disagreement, or dispute arising from its services in a fair, transparent, and cooperative manner.

Step 1 — Amicable Resolution (Mandatory First Step): In the event of any dispute, claim, or grievance arising out of or relating to these Terms, the engagement, or the services rendered, the aggrieved party shall first formally notify the other party in writing (via email or registered letter) and allow a minimum period of thirty (30) calendar days for good-faith discussions and amicable resolution. The Practice is committed to engaging with all genuine grievances within this period.

Step 2 — Exclusive Jurisdiction of Varanasi Courts: If the dispute remains unresolved after the mandatory thirty-day amicable resolution period, both parties irrevocably agree that any suit, action, arbitration, or other legal proceeding shall be filed exclusively in the competent courts of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction over all such disputes. Neither party shall initiate or continue any proceeding in any court, tribunal, or forum outside Varanasi without the express written consent of the other party.

The Practice and the Client waive any objection they may now or hereafter have to the venue of such proceedings and any claim that such proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum.

15.Amendments to These Terms

Vakil Prime reserves the right to modify, update, or replace these Terms at any time without prior individual notice to existing or prospective Clients. Updated Terms will be published on this page with a revised "Effective Date" and "Last Reviewed" date displayed at the top.

Your continued use of this Website or engagement of our services after the publication of updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree with the updated Terms, you must cease using this Website and, where applicable, notify the Practice of your wish to terminate any ongoing engagement.

The Terms in effect at the time of commencement of a formal engagement shall govern that specific engagement for its duration, unless both parties expressly agree in writing to adopt updated Terms.

16.Contact for Legal Notices

Any formal legal notice, demand notice, or correspondence intended to have legal effect under these Terms must be served in writing and addressed to Vakil Prime at the following address. Notices sent by any other method (including WhatsApp messages) shall not be deemed formal legal notice for the purposes of these Terms, though they may be acknowledged as general communications.