Adv. Lav Dhawan

Read it fully, verify the other party, check the key clauses, and get everything in writing before you sign. Verify the vendor: Confirm their legal name, registration (company, LLP or firm), GST number and PAN. Check that the person signing has authority, such as a board resolution or authorisation letter for a company. Read every clause: Do not rely on verbal promises. If it was agreed orally, it should be written in the contract. Check the key terms: Scope and price: What exactly will be delivered, by when, and at what cost, including taxes. Payment terms: Advance, milestones, late fees, and penalties. Termination: How either side can exit, and the notice period. Liability and indemnity: Who bears the loss if something goes wrong. Try to cap your liability. Quality and warranty: Standards, defect remedies, and replacement or refund rights. Confidentiality and IP: Who owns the work, designs or data created. Dispute resolution: Which court or arbitration (seat, language), and which law applies. Negotiate unfair clauses: One-sided terms such as heavy penalties or automatic renewal can be changed before signing, not after. Stamp duty and execution: Print the contract on proper stamp paper as required by your state. An unstamped agreement may not be accepted as evidence until duty and penalty are paid. Make sure every page is signed. Keep records: Get a signed copy for yourself, and keep related emails, quotations and annexures. Get a lawyer to review it: Especially if the contract is high-value or long-term.

No, it is not too late. You have 2 years from the date the problem arose, so you are still within time. Rule (Section 69, Consumer Protection Act, 2019): Time limit: A complaint must be filed within 2 years from the date the cause of action arose (usually when you bought the product or discovered the defect). Your case: At about 1.5 years, you have roughly 6 months left. File soon. Delay can be excused: If you miss the deadline, the Consumer Commission can still accept the complaint if you give a good reason for the delay, and it must record that reason in writing. Continuing problem: If the defect or poor service is ongoing, the 2 years may count from when it last occurred.

Yes. In India, a will does not have to be registered to be valid. Registration is optional. What makes a will valid (Section 63, Indian Succession Act, 1925): Written and signed: The person making the will (the testator) must sign it, or someone else must sign it in their presence and on their direction. Two witnesses: At least two people must have seen the testator sign, and each must sign the will in the testator’s presence. Sound mind and free will: The testator must have understood what they were doing, with no force, fraud or undue pressure. Plain paper is fine. Stamp duty is also not required for a will.

A bank can legally refuse a loan, but it cannot be arbitrary or stay silent. You have several options. Ask for the reason in writing: Write to the branch manager and ask why they rejected the application. Banks are expected to explain the rejection, and a written request creates a record. Check your credit report: Get your free report from CIBIL, Experian, Equifax or CRIF. A good score can still be affected by errors, old unpaid dues, or too many recent loan enquiries. If you find a mistake, ask the bank or credit bureau to correct it. Escalate within the bank: File a complaint with the bank’s Grievance Redressal Officer or Nodal Officer. The bank has to reply within about 30 days. Approach the RBI Ombudsman: If the bank does not reply or you are unsatisfied after 30 days, file a free complaint on the RBI’s Complaint Management System (cms.rbi.org.in) under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021. Legal action (last resort): You can approach the Consumer Commission for “deficiency in service” or file a writ petition in the High Court against a public sector bank if the rejection is arbitrary. This is harder, since courts generally leave lending decisions to the bank’s commercial judgment. Practical alternative: Apply to another bank or NBFC, or add a co-applicant or collateral.

Act within 30 days of the bounce to send a notice, and then file the case within 1 month after the 15-day payment window ends. Exact timeline under Section 138 (Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881): Presenting the cheque: The cheque must be presented to the bank within 3 months of the date written on it. Legal notice: After the bank returns the cheque unpaid, you must send a written demand notice to the person who gave the cheque within 30 days of receiving the bank’s "cheque returned" memo. Payment window: The person gets 15 days from receiving the notice to pay. Filing the case: If they do not pay, you must file the complaint before the Hon'ble Court within 1 month from the day the 15-day period ends.