Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Legal Practice In India Now Exclusively Belongs To Advocates


Now only advocates enrolled as per the provisions of Advocates Act, 1961 can engage in litigation and non litigation related services in India. This includes consultancy, opinion giving, drafting of agreement and their vetting, litigation in courts, etc.

As a natural corollary, those who are not entitled to practice law in India in any of its form and still providing legal services would be doing the same illegally. It is also possible that suitable legal actions can be taken against such persons.

Further, the legal sanctity of such illegal legal services may also be doubtful. Legal service seekers must ensure that those professionals providing litigation and non litigation related services in India are enrolled with the Bar Council of India/State and not engaged in other part time/whole time employment.

Further, whole time practicing CAs and CS cannot practice law and this judgement equally affects them as well.

This also means that foreign law firms and LPOs cannot practice either litigation or non litigation related issues in India anymore. This also means that Indian LPO service providers like Perry4Law would witness an enhanced role in the LPO segment of India.

Let us see how things would take a shape from here.