These Terms govern your use of Mara Vakil. By creating an account or using the platform, you agree to these Terms. Please read carefully — they describe both your rights as a user and the responsibilities you accept.
1. About Mara Vakil
Mara Vakil is a legal services marketplace operated by Mara Vakil Technologies Pvt Ltd, India. We connect clients with verified advocates registered with the Bar Council of India / State Bar Councils. We are not a law firm and do not ourselves provide legal advice. Final legal advice is provided only by the engaged advocate after reviewing your case facts and documents.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and capable of entering into legally binding contracts under Indian law. By registering, you confirm that all information provided is accurate. Providing false information may result in immediate account termination and may be reported to authorities.
3. Account Responsibilities
For Clients:
- Share truthful and complete case facts. Advocates depend on accurate information to advise correctly.
- Upload only documents you have a legal right to share.
- Do not pressure advocates to take actions that violate the Advocates Act, 1961 or Bar Council rules.
- Use respectful language in chat and reviews. Harassment, abuse or false complaints may lead to account action.
For Advocates:
- Provide correct Bar Council Enrolment Number, current practice details, and verifiable credentials.
- Quote fees transparently — surprise fees added later may trigger refund obligations.
- Respond to client inquiries within stated SLA windows.
- Maintain client confidentiality per the Bar Council of India Rules.
- Do not solicit work in ways that violate Rule 36 of the BCI Standards of Professional Conduct.
4. Anti-Bypass Policy
Our platform exists to protect both parties through escrow, dispute resolution and verified profiles. To preserve these protections:
- No off-platform payments — all consultation fees, case fees and milestones must be processed through Mara Vakil escrow.
- No off-platform contact — initial contact must happen via the in-app chat or masked call. Exchanging personal numbers, emails or addresses before a case is confirmed is a violation.
- No cash demands — any advocate demanding cash directly, especially under any pretext, is in violation. Report to legal@maravakil.in.
- First-time violations: warning + 30-day suspension. Repeat violations: permanent ban + report to Bar Council.
5. Fees & Escrow
Consultation fees and case fees vary by advocate, complexity and court level. All fees are paid into Mara Vakil's regulated escrow account and released to the advocate upon milestone completion (you confirm satisfaction). Mara Vakil retains a small platform fee (disclosed before payment) to operate the marketplace. Detailed fee structure: see Refund Policy.
6. Reviews & Ratings
Clients may rate engaged advocates after the case concludes. Reviews must be honest, specific and based on actual experience. Fake reviews, paid reviews and review manipulation are violations and will be removed. Defamatory reviews may be moderated. Advocates may respond to reviews but cannot remove them unilaterally.
7. Intellectual Property
All platform content (text, design, code, logos, AI matching algorithms) is owned by Mara Vakil Technologies Pvt Ltd. You may not copy, scrape, reverse engineer or build competing products using our content. Case documents you upload remain yours — we obtain only a limited licence to store and share them with your engaged advocate.
8. Prohibited Conduct
Do not:
- Use the platform for any unlawful purpose, including money laundering, fraud, or harassment.
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent your role (client posing as advocate or vice versa).
- Upload malware, scrape pages, or attempt to compromise platform security.
- Solicit users to external services through case discussions or reviews.
- Post discriminatory, hateful or threatening content.
9. Limitation of Liability
Mara Vakil is an intermediary, not a party to the advocate-client relationship. Once you engage an advocate, the legal services relationship is governed by Indian advocate ethics rules. We are not liable for the outcome of legal proceedings, advocate negligence, or court decisions. Our maximum liability under any claim is limited to the platform fees paid by you in the preceding 12 months.
10. Termination
Either party may close their account at any time. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, after notice where reasonable. Termination does not affect: ongoing escrow obligations, dispute resolution proceedings, or data retention requirements under Indian law.
11. Governing Law & Disputes
These Terms are governed by Indian law. Any dispute will first go through Mara Vakil's internal grievance process (response within 7 working days). Unresolved disputes will be subject to arbitration in New Delhi under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Subject to that, courts in New Delhi have exclusive jurisdiction.
12. Changes to These Terms
We may revise these Terms. Material changes will be notified at least 14 days before taking effect via email and in-app banner. Continued use after that constitutes acceptance.
13. Contact
📧 help@maravakil.in — general support
📧 legal@maravakil.in — legal & compliance
Mara Vakil Technologies Pvt Ltd, registered in India.