Quick, plain-language answers across the most common legal situations people search for in India.
Go to the Find a Lawyer page and filter by practice area, city or search by name. Every profile shown has had the advocate's Bar Council enrolment certificate (Sanad) and identity documents checked before being listed.
Yes. Browsing the directory, viewing advocate profiles and reading the legal guides is free for clients. Any future paid consultation booking will be clearly priced before you pay. Nothing is charged for search or browsing.
Every applicant submits their Bar Council enrolment certificate (Sanad), identity proof and other supporting documents, which are checked before the profile is allowed to go live. This is manual, human-reviewed verification. LawyerDhundo does not list unverified advocates.
Match the practice area to your issue: property disputes need civil litigation, a police complaint or charge needs criminal defence, divorce or custody needs matrimonial, and a business or contract issue needs corporate. Read the full guide on finding the right lawyer for a complete checklist.
Ask whether they've handled cases like yours in your specific court, whether they'll personally appear or hand it to a junior associate, and get their fee structure confirmed in writing. See our 10 essential questions to ask before hiring a lawyer.
The sender can proceed to file a case in court without further warning, and your silence can later be used to show you had notice and chose not to respond. Read our guide on what to do after receiving a legal notice.
Under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, cheque bounce is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to twice the cheque amount, or both.
You must send a demand notice within 30 days of the cheque return memo, wait 15 days for payment, then file the complaint within one month if unpaid. Read the full cheque bounce guide for the complete timeline.
A mutual consent divorce is filed jointly when both spouses agree to separate and on terms like alimony and custody, which makes it faster. A contested divorce is filed by one spouse against the other's wishes and involves a longer trial process.
Under the Hindu Marriage Act, mutual consent divorces have a statutory 6-month cooling-off period, though the Supreme Court has held it's directory, not mandatory, and courts can waive it in appropriate cases. Read the full guide on mutual consent divorce for the timeline and waiver conditions.
A wife, children (including major children unable to maintain themselves due to disability) and parents unable to maintain themselves can claim maintenance from a person with sufficient means, under Section 144 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Section 118 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) creates a presumption of dowry death once cruelty before death and a death within 7 years of marriage are shown, and the Supreme Court has cancelled several 2026 bail orders for ignoring this presumption. Read the full guide on dowry death bail and the BSA Section 118 presumption for what this means for the standard courts apply.
Bail is sought after arrest to secure release from custody. Anticipatory bail is sought before arrest, when a person apprehends being arrested on an accusation of a non-bailable offence, so they are not taken into custody at all if granted.
Yes. Anticipatory bail continues under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced the CrPC), broadly on the same principles as before: courts weigh the nature of the accusation, the applicant's antecedents and flight risk.
Yes, through a Zero FIR. Any police station must register information about a cognizable offence regardless of jurisdiction, then transfer it to the station that actually covers the crime location. Read the full Zero FIR guide for the step-by-step procedure and what to do if a station refuses.
A RERA complaint can be filed against a builder or developer for delays, defects, or non-compliance with the terms of sale under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, before the state's RERA authority.
It varies widely depending on the type of dispute, evidence and court backlog: anywhere from a few months for straightforward RERA complaints to several years for title or partition suits in civil court.
Complaints can be filed on the government's e-Daakhil portal against a seller, service provider or manufacturer for deficient goods or services, without needing to appear in person for filing.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, jurisdiction is based on the value of goods/services and compensation claimed: District Commissions handle claims up to ₹1 crore, State Commissions up to ₹10 crore, and the National Commission above that.
Yes. The Central Consumer Protection Authority's Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 name 13 specific practices as illegal, including false urgency, basket sneaking, drip pricing and subscription traps. Read the full dark patterns guide to identify them and file a free e-Daakhil complaint.
No. The Supreme Court has ruled that tariff recovery must stay linked to actual electricity supply, and consumers can't be billed for a plant's depreciation costs beyond the period it actually supplied power. Read the full guide on challenging unfair electricity tariff charges.
Report immediately on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call the 1930 helpline. Fast reporting improves the chance of freezing the fraudulent transaction before the funds are withdrawn.
Yes. Once a complaint is registered promptly (ideally within a few hours), banks can be directed to freeze the receiving account through the cyber crime portal's coordination with banks, though success depends on how quickly you report.
No. There is no provision under Indian law, including the BNSS, that allows any agency to arrest a person over a video call or hold them under virtual house arrest. Any call threatening this is a scam. Read the full digital arrest scam guide for how to report it and recover funds.
Within 2 hours for sensitive content like non-consensual nudity or impersonation, under the amended IT Rules, 2026. Read the full guide on the 2026 IT Rules deepfake takedown deadlines for how to file the request and what to do if a platform doesn't comply.
For 717 provisions across 79 Central Acts, no, not anymore. The Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 replaced criminal penalties for minor, technical and procedural defaults with civil penalties and advisory notices instead. Read the full guide on the Jan Vishwas Bill 2026 to see what changed for MSMEs.
Only with a special resolution passed by shareholders under Section 185 of the Companies Act; a board resolution alone isn't enough, and the Supreme Court has held that skipping this makes the transaction legally unsustainable. Read the full guide on company loans to directors under Section 185.
The Supreme Court has held that Article 21's right to life includes the right to move freely in public spaces without fear of dog attacks, and has ordered every district to set up functioning Animal Birth Control Centres. Read the full guide on stray dog attacks and your Article 21 rights for what civic bodies must now do.
Submit a written application to the Public Information Officer of the relevant government department, either online via the RTI portal (for central government bodies) or by post, clearly specifying the information sought.
The standard central government fee is ₹10, with additional charges for copies of documents provided. Fees are waived for applicants below the poverty line. State government fees may differ slightly.
Consultation fees vary widely by city, experience and practice area: from a few hundred rupees for a junior advocate to several thousand for a senior specialist. Always confirm the fee structure before the consultation.
Verify their Bar Council enrolment, relevant experience in your type of matter, which courts they regularly practise in, and get fee and timeline expectations in writing before proceeding.
Answers are for general information only and are not legal advice. Laws and procedures can change; consult a qualified advocate for your specific matter.