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Statutory Notice: Technology Facilitator Model
AdvocateBook.in is a digital discovery and communication technology platform, not a law firm or professional accounting firm. We do not provide direct legal representation, legal opinions, statutory audit certifications, or marriage registrations. All professional counsel and services are rendered independently by verified third-party Advocates, Chartered Accountants, and Marriage Registrars.
1
Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "Client", "Professional", or "You") and AdvocateBook.in ("Platform", "Company", "We", "Us", or "Our"), operated from our registered headquarters in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal – 700150, India.
By browsing the platform, registering an account, booking a consultation, or onboarding as a professional, you expressly confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
2
Platform Scope & 4-Pillar Ecosystem
AdvocateBook provides technology infrastructure across four distinct professional verticals:
- Advocates & Legal Practitioners: Digital profiles, courtroom practice area indexing, physical chamber appointment booking, and client inquiries.
- Chartered Accountants (CA): ICAI credential verification, tax advisory scheduling, GST return filing assistance, and corporate financial consultation.
- Marriage Registrars: Government-appointed registration jurisdiction discovery, Special Marriage Act / Hindu Marriage Act document guidance.
- Online Legal Consultation: Encrypted remote video chambers, scheduled audio consultation rooms, and confidential document exchange.
3
Eligibility & Account Responsibility
To create an account or book services on AdvocateBook, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age and competent to contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
- Provide true, accurate, and current personal credentials during registration and OTP verification.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of your account login credentials and notify us immediately of any unauthorized access.
4
Advocate Obligations & Bar Council Rules
All Advocates listed on AdvocateBook must strictly comply with statutory Bar Council standards:
- Enrollment Verification: Advocates must hold a valid enrollment with their respective State Bar Council under the Advocates Act, 1961.
- Compliance with BCI Rules: Advocates agree that listing on AdvocateBook is purely for factual directory discovery and does not constitute unlawful solicitation or touting under Bar Council of India (BCI) rules.
- No Contingent Fees: Under BCI professional conduct standards, charging contingent fees (percentage of claim amount won) is strictly prohibited.
- Advocate-Client Privilege: Advocates are bound by statutory confidentiality under Section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 / Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
5
Chartered Accountants & ICAI Standards
Chartered Accountants registering on AdvocateBook warrant that they hold valid active membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and comply with the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and ICAI Code of Ethics. CA listings represent factual advisory competencies and do not constitute direct client solicitation.
6
Marriage Registrars & Statutory Authority
Marriage Registrars listed on the platform operate under official government appointment within their designated territorial administrative jurisdiction (under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, or relevant state registration enactments). AdvocateBook acts as an informational connection medium; the official solemnization and issuance of legal marriage certificates remain subject to statutory verification and physical appearance before the competent registrar.
7
Online Legal Consultation Protocols
When participating in remote audio or video consultations on AdvocateBook:
- Punctuality: Both the Client and the Professional must join the virtual consultation room at the scheduled start time.
- Recording Prohibition: Unauthorized screen recording, audio taping, or unauthorized broadcast of consultation sessions is strictly prohibited to preserve confidentiality.
- Technology Limitations: Users are responsible for maintaining stable internet connectivity. In the event of platform-side technical server interruptions, the session will be rescheduled without additional charges.
8
Payments, Platform Fees & Refund Policy
All payments on AdvocateBook are processed in Indian Rupees (INR) through authorized, encrypted banking gateways (PayU / Razorpay):
✓ Full 100% Refund
Applicable if you cancel the scheduled consultation booking at least 4 hours prior to the appointment time, or if the professional fails to attend the scheduled session.
⚠️ 50% Rescheduling Credit
If a cancellation request is submitted between 1 and 4 hours before the appointment, a 50% credit is provided toward rescheduling.
× Non-Refundable Scenarios
No refund is issued if the client fails to attend (no-show) without prior notice or for sessions that have been successfully concluded. In case of service disputes, clients may submit an escalation to our Grievance Redressal Cell within 48 hours.
9
Prohibited Platform Conduct
Users and listed professionals agree NOT to engage in the following:
- Providing fraudulent credentials, forged Bar enrollment certificates, or fake identities.
- Posting abusive, defamatory, harassing, or discriminatory communications on the platform.
- Attempting to reverse-engineer, scrape, DDoS, or breach platform cybersecurity defenses.
- Publishing fake client reviews or engaging in artificial rating manipulation.
10
Intellectual Property Rights
All platform designs, logos, software architecture, IPC–BNS statutory database mappings, and editorial content on AdvocateBook.in are protected under the Copyright Act, 1957 and applicable Indian trademark laws. Unauthorized reproduction or commercial scraping is strictly prohibited.
11
Limitation of Warranty & Disclaimers
Platform "As Is" Provision: AdvocateBook provides the discovery platform on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While we perform thorough credential checks, AdvocateBook does not guarantee the outcome of any legal litigation, court verdict, tax audit assessment, or marriage registration petition handled by independent professionals.
12
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law, AdvocateBook, its founders, directors, and technology team shall not be liable for any indirect, consequential, punitive, or special damages arising out of professional disputes between clients and independent practitioners. Our aggregate liability for any direct operational platform malfunction shall not exceed the actual technology facilitation fee paid by the user in the preceding transaction.
13
Governing Law & Legal Jurisdiction
These Terms shall be governed by, interpreted, and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of India. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts located in Kolkata / South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.
