Advice
Legal Consultation
Overview
Many legal problems become clearer after one well-prepared conversation. A consultation gives you the opportunity to set out the facts, ask your questions and understand where you stand: the options open to you, the risks attached to each, the likely course of a matter and the time it may take.
A consultation is ordinarily scheduled for about an hour and takes place in person at one of our chambers. Its fee depends on the nature of the matter and is discussed and agreed with you transparently before the appointment is confirmed. A consultation does not by itself mean that the firm has taken on your matter; if you would like us to act further, the scope of work and fees are agreed in writing first.
Scope of the service
What this includes.
06 elements
- 01
A reading of your papers
Notices, agreements, orders, FIRs, title documents or correspondence, ideally shared in advance so that the time together is spent on substance.
- 02
Your legal position, plainly stated
The issues that arise, the law that applies to them, and what would need to be shown if the matter were contested.
- 03
Options and their consequences
Negotiation, a legal notice, mediation, proceedings, or no action at all, with an honest view of the cost, time and risk of each.
- 04
Deadlines and immediate steps
Limitation periods or response times that may already be running, and practical steps to protect your position in the meantime, such as preserving documents and evidence.
- 05
A choice of chamber
In person at whichever of our chambers in Gautam Budh Nagar and Meerut suits you, with your papers on the table.
- 06
A written note, if you need one
Where a written summary of the advice would help, it can be arranged; its scope and fee are agreed beforehand.
The process
How a consultation works.
- 01
Request
Write to us or use the consultation form with a brief description of the matter, the chamber you would prefer and a few convenient times. There is no need to send detailed facts at this stage.
- 02
Conflict check and confirmation
We check the names of the other parties involved, given in your request, to confirm that we are free to advise you, then confirm the date, the chamber and the fee.
- 03
The consultation
An advocate of the firm takes you through your position and options, and answers your questions as fully as the facts allow.
- 04
Next steps
If you wish the firm to act, we agree the scope of work and fees in writing. If not, you leave with a clearer understanding of where you stand.
Request a consultation
Arrange a consultation.
Questions
Before you begin.
Consultations
How do I request a consultation?
Use the consultation form on this site, write to legal@vermanco.com, or telephone the firm. A brief description of the matter, the names of the other parties involved (for a conflict check), the chamber you would prefer and a few convenient times are enough to begin. Detailed facts and documents can follow once the appointment is confirmed.
How long is a consultation, and where does it take place?
A consultation is ordinarily scheduled for about an hour and takes place in person at one of our chambers, so that the documents can be on the table. You can say which suits you when you make the request, or leave it to us to suggest one.
Does a consultation mean the firm is representing me?
No. A consultation is advice on the matter as presented at that meeting. The firm acts for you in a matter only after a conflict check, once the scope of work and fees have been agreed in writing and, where we are to appear in court, a vakalatnama has been executed.
Fees & engagement
How are fees decided?
Fees depend on the nature and complexity of the matter, the forum, the stages it is likely to involve and the work required. They are discussed openly and agreed before any work begins, and confirmed in writing. This applies equally to consultations, research and drafting. We do not publish fee figures, because no two matters are alike.
Can the fee depend on the result of the case?
No. The Bar Council of India Rules do not permit an advocate to stipulate a fee contingent on the result of litigation, or to share in its proceeds. Equally, no advocate can properly guarantee the outcome of a case.
What else might a matter cost, apart from professional fees?
Depending on the matter, there may be court fees, stamp duty, registration charges, notarisation, certified copies, process fees or travel. We explain the likely expenses at the outset so that you can plan for them.
Confidentiality
Is what I tell an advocate confidential?
Yes. Under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, an advocate may not disclose communications made in the course of professional engagement, or the advice given, without the client's express consent, and the obligation continues after the engagement ends. The protection does not extend to communications made in furtherance of an illegal purpose, or to facts showing that a crime or fraud has been committed since the engagement began. We treat every enquiry in confidence from the first contact, although an enquiry by itself does not create an advocate–client relationship.
Why do you ask for the names of the other parties before we meet?
To check for a conflict of interest. An advocate cannot advise or act for one party in a matter in which the firm already advises or acts for the other side. Checking at the outset protects you, and protects the confidence of everyone the firm has advised.
Find the precedent that bears on your case.
Share the facts and the stage your matter has reached. The firm's advocates search High Court and Supreme Court decisions relevant to it and set out what they find in a written note.