The city where your property stands, where an offence happened or where the other side lives decides which court can hear you, and every state has its own rent law, stamp duty and land records. This page compares Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Lucknow, explains the jurisdiction rules for each type of case and links to 130 local guides. When you are ready, describe your matter in the form and an enrolment-verified advocate near you who handles it can call you. It is free for clients.
Need help with your your kind of matter? Book a free call back from an enrolment-verified advocate.
Delhi High Court with original civil jurisdiction, district court complexes across the capital, the 1958 rent law and Delhi's own revenue districts. Court guides: Tis Hazari, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, Patiala House, Rouse Avenue, Delhi High Court, Family courts, Consumer commissions, Debts Recovery Tribunals, RERA.
Bombay High Court's original side, the City Civil Court, the Small Causes Court for tenancies, housing societies and SRA schemes.
Karnataka High Court, one City Civil Court for suits of any value, khata records, apartment disputes and the Karnataka Rent Act.
Madras High Court, city civil courts, patta records, a Rent Authority under the 2017 tenancy law and a new apartment ownership law.
Telangana High Court, the City Civil Court, Bhu Bharati land records, lake protection by HYDRAA and the 1960 rent law.
Calcutta High Court's original side, city civil courts, thika tenancy, the Premises Tenancy Act and probate rules for city wills.
Shivajinagar district courts, the small causes court, 7/12 extracts, PMRDA areas and appeals to the Bombay High Court.
Gujarat High Court at Sola, the city civil court at Bhadra, TP schemes, land tenure and the Disturbed Areas law.
Rajasthan High Court's Jaipur Bench, two metropolitan judgeships, revenue courts, society pattas and Rent Tribunals.
Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench, the civil court by the Gomti, the UP Revenue Code, nazul land and the 2021 tenancy law.
The national how-to-hire guide has more on fees and warning signs, and the call back page explains what happens after you post.
Each city below has a full city guide and twelve shorter guides for the kinds of cases people bring most often there. Pick the cell that matches your city and your problem; each guide explains the local forum, the state rules that apply and what to prepare.
Looking for the subject rather than the place? The practice areas page lists national guides for each area of law.
Have a question about your own case? Talk to a lawyer who handles your kind of matter. Asking is free.
Every city guide runs to several thousand words. These short portraits pick out the one or two features that most often surprise people arriving from elsewhere, so you know what to look for before you open the full guide.
The capital is a union territory with its own legislature, so laws on rent, stamp duty and land come from Delhi itself, while land use and the police answer to central bodies. The High Court here has original civil jurisdiction, which means large money and property suits can start directly before it instead of a district court. Below it, cases are spread across several district court complexes according to the police station or revenue district, and the boundaries of those revenue districts were redrawn in late 2025. Anyone with property in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram or Faridabad should remember that those cities sit in other states with entirely separate courts.
Mumbai keeps a court structure inherited from its days as a presidency town. Ordinary civil suits begin in the City Civil Court unless their value takes them to the original side of the Bombay High Court, while landlords, tenants and licensors fight their battles in the Small Causes Court. Co-operative housing societies govern daily life for millions, which makes the co-operative courts and the deputy registrars important forums. Redevelopment of old buildings, slum rehabilitation and MHADA allotments generate a steady flow of specialised litigation.
One City Civil Court hears suits of every value inside the city, a structure that differs from most other states. Property questions revolve around the khata, the municipal record of a property, and whether a layout was approved by the right authority. Apartment owners' associations, builder disputes and employment matters in the technology sector make up a large share of the work, and the city's growth across three districts means outlying areas fall under different court complexes.
The Madras High Court, one of the oldest in the country, sits in the city with its own original side. Land records are built around the patta and chitta, with a field measurement sketch defining boundaries. Tamil Nadu moved early to a modern tenancy law with a Rent Authority, and in 2022 it replaced its old apartment law with a new one, so both tenancy and flat ownership follow comparatively recent statutes.
Telangana has had its own High Court since 2019. The city's lakes and their buffer zones have become a major legal issue since the state created a dedicated agency to protect them, and buyers now check lake boundaries as carefully as title. Land records moved to a new portal, Bhu Bharati, and suburban growth spread across neighbouring districts means a Hyderabad address can still fall under the Ranga Reddy or Medchal courts.
The Calcutta High Court has an original side and is where probate of city wills has traditionally been granted. Thika tenancy, a form of land tenure peculiar to Kolkata and Howrah, has its own controller and statute. The city civil and sessions courts deal with the core city, while Alipore and the courts of North 24 Parganas take in large suburbs, including Salt Lake and New Town.
Most Pune litigation begins at the district court complex in Shivajinagar, with appeals going to the Bombay High Court in Mumbai. Land is recorded through the 7/12 extract and mutation entries, and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority governs planning across a vast ring of villages now absorbed into the city. Old wadas in the central peths carry inheritance and tenancy disputes that go back generations.
The Gujarat High Court at Sola hears appeals from the whole state, and the city has its own civil court at Bhadra alongside rural district courts. Town planning schemes reshape plots before final allotment, land tenure classifications decide whether land can be sold freely, and the Disturbed Areas law requires permission for property transfers in notified localities. A specific land grabbing law adds another route for complaints.
The High Court that hears Jaipur's appeals is based in Jodhpur; the city itself hosts a standing bench of it. Since 2020 the city's courts have been split into two metropolitan judgeships. Revenue courts decide farmland disputes, and plots in colonies built on former agricultural land depend on conversion orders and Jaipur Development Authority regularisation. Rent disputes for covered premises go to Rent Tribunals.
The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench, descended from the old Chief Court of Oudh, handles a huge volume of writ petitions because the state government sits in the city. Much land in central Lucknow is nazul, held on lease from the state, and Uttar Pradesh replaced its old rent law with a tenancy statute in 2021. Revenue courts under the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code decide farmland questions on the city's expanding edges.
The table gives the starting point for each city: which High Court hears appeals, where most first-level cases begin, which law governs tenancies and which council enrols the local advocates. The city guides go much deeper.
| City | High Court | Main trial courts | Tenancy law | Bar Council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi High Court | District court complexes such as Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Patiala House, Saket, Rohini and Dwarka | Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 (low-rent premises only) | Bar Council of Delhi |
| Mumbai | Bombay High Court, principal seat | City Civil and Sessions Court, Small Causes Court, metropolitan magistrates | Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 | Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa |
| Bangalore | Karnataka High Court | City Civil Court, magistrates, rural district courts | Karnataka Rent Act, 1999 | Bar Council of Karnataka |
| Chennai | Madras High Court | City civil courts, small causes courts, metropolitan magistrates | Tamil Nadu landlords and tenants law, 2017 | Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry |
| Hyderabad | Telangana High Court | City Civil Court, criminal courts, Ranga Reddy and Medchal district courts | Telangana Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1960 | Bar Council of Telangana |
| Kolkata | Calcutta High Court | City Civil Court, City Sessions Court, Small Causes Court, Alipore courts | West Bengal Premises Tenancy Act, 1997 | Bar Council of West Bengal |
| Pune | Bombay High Court (in Mumbai) | District courts at Shivajinagar, small causes court, taluka courts | Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 | Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat High Court, Sola | Bhadra city civil court, metropolitan magistrates and the rural district courts at Mirzapur | Bombay Rents Act, 1947 as applied in Gujarat, for older tenancies | Bar Council of Gujarat |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench | Jaipur Metropolitan-I and II, Jaipur District courts | Rajasthan Rent Control Act, 2001 | Bar Council of Rajasthan |
| Lucknow | Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench | Civil court campus near Qaisarbagh, outlying civil judges | UP Regulation of Urban Premises Tenancy Act, 2021 | Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh |
Court structures and rent laws are amended from time to time. Treat the table as orientation and confirm the current position for your matter.
Stamp duty and registration are state subjects, and the cost of buying the same-priced flat can vary by several lakh rupees depending on the city. The figures below are the usual rates for a residential sale deed as described in our city guides. Each state charges duty on the higher of the agreed price and its official valuation, and concessions, cesses and slabs change often.
| City | Usual cost of a residential sale deed | Official valuation used |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 6% for men and 4% for women up to Rs 25 lakh; 7% and 5% above Rs 25 lakh in MCD areas; plus 1% registration | Circle rate |
| Mumbai | About 6% including metro cess, one point less for a woman buying alone, plus registration | Ready reckoner rate |
| Pune | About 7% in all inside PMC and PCMC limits, one point less for women | Ready reckoner rate |
| Bangalore | Slab-based duty rising to 5% above ₹45 lakh, plus cess and surcharge, and registration fee | Guidance value |
| Chennai | 7% stamp duty plus 2% registration fee | Guideline value |
| Hyderabad | About 6% in urban areas: stamp duty, transfer duty and registration fee | Market value set by the department |
| Kolkata | 6% up to ₹1 crore and 7% above, plus 1% registration | Market value assessed by the registration office |
| Ahmedabad | About 4.9% stamp duty and 1% registration, with relief for women buyers | Jantri rate |
| Jaipur | 6% for men and 5% for women plus surcharge, and 1% registration | DLC rate |
| Lucknow | 7% stamp duty and 1% registration, one point less for women up to a value limit | Circle rate |
Use our stamp duty calculator for an estimate, and have the final figure checked before you buy e-stamps. The property registration guide explains the general process.
Every advocate on Mara Vakil has had their Bar Council enrolment checked before being listed.
Indian law has detailed rules about territorial jurisdiction, and they are different for each type of case. Knowing the basic rule for your matter tells you which city's lawyers you should be talking to.
| Type of case | Where it can usually be filed |
|---|---|
| Land, house or flat (title, partition, possession) | Where the property is situated. Section 16 of the Code of Civil Procedure keeps such suits with the local court, even if both sides now live elsewhere. |
| Money claims and contract disputes | Section 20 of the Code allows the suit in the town where the defendant resides or works, or in any town where some part of the dispute took place. |
| Compensation for a wrong to a person or movable property | Where the wrong was done or where the defendant lives, at the plaintiff's choice, under section 19. |
| Divorce and other petitions under the Hindu Marriage Act | Where the marriage took place, where the respondent lives, where the couple last lived together, or where the wife lives if she is the petitioner, under section 19 of that Act. |
| Maintenance from a husband, parent or child | Where the person from whom maintenance is claimed is, or where the wife, child or parent lives, under the maintenance provisions of the BNSS. |
| Domestic violence | Where the woman lives or works, where the respondent lives or works, or where the cause of action arose, under section 27 of the 2005 Act. |
| Police case | Ordinarily where the offence was committed. Where acts happen in more than one place, or consequences follow elsewhere, more than one court may have jurisdiction. |
| Cheque bounce | Where the branch of the payee's bank, in which the cheque was presented for collection, is situated, under section 142(2) of the Negotiable Instruments Act. |
| Consumer complaint | The 2019 Act lets buyers file at home: the commission covering the area where they live or earn a living, besides the seller's location or the place where things went wrong. |
| Builder complaint under RERA | Before the RERA of the state in which the project is located. |
| Writ petition | The High Court within whose territory the cause of action arose wholly or partly, or where the authority is located, under Article 226. |
These are the general rules, and many statutes contain their own variations. A contract can sometimes choose one of several competent courts, but it cannot give jurisdiction to a court that has none.
Large cities have spilled across old boundaries, and the address on your rent agreement may not tell you which court you are in.
When in doubt, the police station name and the revenue village or ward on your documents usually settle the question.
Many people live in one city and have a problem in another: a parent's house in Lucknow, a flat bought in Pune, a matrimonial case filed in the spouse's home town. You can consult anyone by phone or video, but who should appear in court is a separate question.
A common arrangement is a lead advocate you trust plus a local advocate who files and attends routine dates. Video hearings and e-filing, now available in many courts, reduce the need to travel, but evidence and some hearings still need physical presence.
Not sure what applies to you? Describe your situation and a verified advocate can call you back.
Every city has its own recurring problems, shaped by its history, its housing and its economy. If yours is on the list, the city guide has a section on it.
| City | Frequent local disputes |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Freehold conversion of DDA flats, unauthorised colonies, rent control cases for old shops, matrimonial cases across NCR state lines |
| Mumbai | Society redevelopment, leave and licence disputes, slum rehabilitation eligibility, MHADA transfers |
| Bangalore | Khata and layout approval problems, apartment association fights, builder delays, technology sector employment exits |
| Chennai | Patta mismatches, guideline value disputes, tenancy registration under the 2017 law, family settlement deeds |
| Hyderabad | Lake buffer zone demolitions, land record corrections, suburban plot disputes, builder complaints |
| Kolkata | Thika tenancy, long-standing tenancies in old buildings, partition of family houses, probate of older wills |
| Pune | Mutation entries on 7/12 extracts, society formation and conveyance, old wada inheritance, PMRDA plot approvals |
| Ahmedabad | Town planning scheme reallotment, land tenure conversion, Disturbed Areas permissions, land grabbing complaints |
| Jaipur | Society pattas and regularisation, farmland division in revenue courts, Rent Tribunal cases, Aravalli restrictions |
| Lucknow | Nazul leases and freehold, LDA sealing notices, varasat in revenue records, government service disputes |
Not every problem needs a court. Statutory commissions in each state accept complaints directly, usually without a fee, and can call for reports from the police or other authorities.
A commission's order is often a strong lever, but it is not a court decree. For compensation, possession or a binding decision, a court or tribunal may still be needed.
Clients never pay Mara Vakil. Posting your matter and the call back are free.
When you post a matter, the city and area you give decide who sees it first. The request is shown to enrolment-checked advocates whose practice address is near you and who handle that type of case. If no one nearby accepts it, the circle widens to the rest of your state and then to advocates across India. The admin team can also send a request directly to particular advocates where that helps. Throughout, your phone number stays hidden until one advocate accepts, and only that advocate receives it. If your case must be filed in another city, say so in your description and give that city as well, so the request reaches advocates who appear in the right court.
Alongside the courts, every state has its own set of authorities that handle land, buildings, legal aid and real estate. Knowing their names makes it easier to follow what your advocate is telling you.
| City | Land records | Planning or development body | Real estate regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Revenue department records, Bhulekh for rural land | DDA and the municipal corporation | Delhi RERA |
| Mumbai | Property cards and 7/12 extracts | BMC, MMRDA, MHADA and SRA | MahaRERA |
| Pune | 7/12 extracts and property cards | PMC, PCMC and PMRDA | MahaRERA |
| Bangalore | RTC (pahani) and khata | BDA, BBMP successor bodies and BMRDA | Karnataka RERA |
| Chennai | Patta, chitta and FMB sketch | CMDA and the Greater Chennai Corporation | TNRERA |
| Hyderabad | Bhu Bharati and pahani | HMDA and the municipal corporations | Telangana RERA |
| Kolkata | Record of rights and mouza maps | KMC and KMDA | WBRERA |
| Ahmedabad | Village forms 7/12 and 8A, property cards | AMC and AUDA | GujRERA |
| Jaipur | Jamabandi and khasra | JDA and the municipal corporations | RERA Rajasthan |
| Lucknow | Khatauni and khasra | LDA, Awas Vikas and the Nagar Nigam | UP RERA |
Each state has a State Legal Services Authority, and each district has a District Legal Services Authority with a front office at the main court complex. High Courts have their own legal services committees for cases at that level. The 1987 legal services law lists who gets a lawyer paid for by the state: any woman or child, SC and ST litigants, disabled people, industrial workers, anyone in custody, survivors of trafficking or a disaster, and people whose income is below the limit their state has fixed.
Our eligibility checker tells you in a minute whether you are likely to qualify.
Your mobile number goes only to the advocate who accepts your request, not to everyone.
An advocate can practise across India once enrolled, but enrolment is with one State Bar Council. The enrolment number on the identity card usually carries a state code, such as D for Delhi, MAH for Maharashtra, KAR for Karnataka or WB for West Bengal.
Mara Vakil checks the enrolment details an advocate submits before listing them, and does not publish ratings or "best lawyer" rankings, in line with Bar Council rules.
Knowing which police organisation covers your address tells you whom to escalate to when a complaint is ignored. All ten cities have a police commissioner for the urban core, with senior officers who can also exercise some magisterial powers.
| City | Police set-up | Escalate to |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi Police, a single force for the whole territory, answerable to the Union Home Ministry | DCP of the district, then the Joint or Special Commissioner |
| Mumbai | Mumbai Police Commissionerate; Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar have their own | DCP of the zone |
| Pune | Pune Police Commissionerate, with Pimpri Chinchwad policed separately | DCP of the zone |
| Bangalore | Bengaluru City Police, with outer areas under district police | DCP of the division |
| Chennai | Greater Chennai Police, with neighbouring commissionerates for the suburbs | DCP of the district |
| Hyderabad | The city and its suburbs are divided among more than one commissionerate | DCP of the zone |
| Kolkata | Kolkata Police for the city; Salt Lake and New Town under Bidhannagar Police; outer areas under district police | DCP of the division |
| Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad City Police Commissionerate, with rural areas under district police | DCP of the zone |
| Jaipur | Jaipur Police Commissionerate since 2011, with Jaipur Rural police outside | DCP of the police district |
| Lucknow | Lucknow Police Commissionerate since 2020 | DCP of the zone |
Wherever you are, 112 reaches emergency services and 1930 reports cyber fraud. If a police station refuses to register an FIR for a cognizable offence, a written complaint to the senior officer and then an application to the magistrate are the usual next steps.
Each state has a state consumer commission in its capital and district commissions in every district, plus its own real estate regulator and appellate tribunal. Home buyers often have a choice between the two.
| City | State consumer commission sits at | Real estate regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | New Delhi | Delhi RERA |
| Mumbai and Pune | Mumbai, with additional benches in other parts of Maharashtra | MahaRERA |
| Bangalore | Bengaluru | Karnataka RERA |
| Chennai | Chennai | Tamil Nadu RERA |
| Hyderabad | Hyderabad | Telangana RERA |
| Kolkata | Kolkata | West Bengal RERA |
| Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad | Gujarat RERA |
| Jaipur | Jaipur | RERA Rajasthan |
| Lucknow | Lucknow | UP RERA |
District commissions take claims up to ₹50 lakh, state commissions up to ₹2 crore and the National Commission above that. RERA complaints go to the regulator of the state where the project is.
Deadlines matter in your kind of matter. Book a free call back today rather than waiting.
Each city guide is written by the Mara Vakil editorial team from the state's own statutes, rules and notifications, the websites of the High Court and district courts, and recent judgments. We look in particular for the points where a city departs from the national picture: a different court structure, a state tenancy law, a land record system or a planning authority. Guides are reviewed when a law, court structure or major rule changes, and each shows its last review date. We do not accept payment from advocates to be named in a guide. If you spot something out of date, write to help@maravakil.in. Read our editorial policy.
High Courts work in English, but district courts and revenue offices often use the state's language for pleadings, evidence and orders. Documents in another language usually need a certified translation before they are filed.
| City | Trial courts and revenue offices | High Court |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Hindi and English | English |
| Mumbai | Marathi and English | English |
| Pune | Marathi, with English used widely | English (Bombay High Court) |
| Bangalore | Kannada and English | English |
| Chennai | Tamil and English | English |
| Hyderabad | Telugu, Urdu in older records, and English | English |
| Kolkata | Bengali and English | English |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarati and English | English |
| Jaipur | Hindi | English and Hindi at the bench |
| Lucknow | Hindi, with Urdu in older records | English and Hindi at the bench |
If you are not comfortable in the court's language, choose an advocate who can explain proceedings in yours, and ask for translations of key orders.
Want a second opinion? Talk to another enrolment-verified advocate, free.
A religious ceremony makes a marriage valid under the relevant personal law, but a government certificate is what passports, visas, banks and courts ask for. Each state has its own registration law or rules.
| City | Registration framework |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Compulsory registration under the Delhi registration of marriage order, done online with a visit to the sub-registrar or marriage officer |
| Mumbai and Pune | Maharashtra's law on marriage bureaus and registration of marriages, 1998, through the local registrar of marriages |
| Bangalore | Karnataka Marriages (Registration and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1976, through the sub-registrar |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu Registration of Marriages Act, 2009, which makes registration compulsory |
| Hyderabad | Compulsory registration under the law inherited from undivided Andhra Pradesh, 2002 |
| Kolkata | Registration through marriage officers and registrars under the applicable personal and special marriage laws |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006 |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act, 2009 |
| Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh Marriage Registration Rules, 2017, applied for online |
Couples of any religion can also marry, or register a marriage, under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which applies across India. See our court marriage and marriage registration services.
Most states now let you view land records and check registered documents online. The names differ, and knowing them saves time when a lawyer or seller mentions them.
| City | Land records portal | Registration portal |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi Bhulekh (rural land) | Delhi revenue department registration services |
| Mumbai and Pune | Mahabhumi and Mahabhulekh | IGR Maharashtra |
| Bangalore | Bhoomi (RTC) | Kaveri |
| Chennai | Tamil Nilam and the patta and chitta service | TNREGINET |
| Hyderabad | Bhu Bharati | Telangana registration and stamps department |
| Kolkata | Banglarbhumi | West Bengal registration directorate |
| Ahmedabad | AnyRoR | Garvi |
| Jaipur | Apna Khata and Bhu-Naksha | e-Panjiyan |
| Lucknow | UP Bhulekh | IGRSUP |
An online record is a starting point. A lawyer will still check the certified copies, the history of mutations and the registered deeds before advising on title.
The basic documents of land ownership exist everywhere, but each state calls them something different. A buyer from Delhi looking at a plot in Pune, or a family in Bangalore dealing with a house in Lucknow, will meet unfamiliar words for familiar things.
| State | Record of who holds the land | Change of name after sale or death | Urban property record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Khatauni and jamabandi for rural land | Mutation | Municipal property tax records |
| Maharashtra | 7/12 extract | Mutation entry (ferfar) | Property card |
| Karnataka | RTC (pahani) | Mutation register | Khata |
| Tamil Nadu | Patta and chitta | Patta transfer | Town survey records |
| Telangana | Pahani and record of rights | Mutation through Bhu Bharati | Municipal assessment |
| West Bengal | Record of rights (khatian) | Mutation | Municipal assessment and mutation |
| Gujarat | 7/12 and 8A village forms | Mutation entry (hakk patrak) | Property card |
| Rajasthan | Jamabandi | Namantaran | Patta from the development authority or municipality |
| Uttar Pradesh | Khatauni | Dakhil kharij, and varasat for heirs | Nagar Nigam, development authority or nazul records |
Whatever the name, the same questions apply: who is recorded as holding the land, whether the record matches the registered deeds, and whether anyone else has a claim.
Fees are agreed directly between you and the advocate. Booking the call back costs nothing.
Court fee is the amount paid to the state when a suit, appeal or application is filed. It is separate from the lawyer's fee and, for money and property suits, usually rises with the value of the claim. Each state has its own court fee law or its own version of the old central Act, so the same suit can cost different amounts to file in different cities.
| City | Court fee law |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Court Fees Act, 1870, as applied to Delhi |
| Mumbai and Pune | Maharashtra Court Fees Act, 1959 |
| Bangalore | Karnataka Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1958 |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1955 |
| Hyderabad | The court fees and suits valuation law inherited from Andhra Pradesh, 1956 |
| Kolkata | West Bengal Court Fees Act, 1970 |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat Court Fees Act, 2004 |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1961 |
| Lucknow | Court Fees Act, 1870, as amended for Uttar Pradesh |
Some proceedings carry small fixed fees regardless of value, such as many family and criminal applications, and consumer complaints have their own fee scale. Ask your advocate for the court fee figure at the start, along with the professional fee.
Several High Courts sit in more than one city. If your case comes from a district attached to a bench, it is filed there rather than at the principal seat.
Which districts go to which bench is fixed by notification. Check before filing, because a petition filed at the wrong seat will be returned.
Changing cities brings a run of small legal tasks. Most are quick if done early and troublesome if left until something goes wrong.
Every case turns on its own facts. A verified advocate can tell you what applies to yours.
Being far from the court no longer means being in the dark. Most of what you need to track a case is available online.
Jobs, marriages and education scatter families across the country, and family law has to cope with spouses, children and parents living hundreds of kilometres apart.
When a family dispute spans two cities, the practical question is usually who will have to travel, and how often. Raise it with your advocate early: the answer affects not only cost but which settlement terms are realistic, such as where a child will study or where maintenance will be paid. The family lawyer guide explains each of these in more detail.
Ready to take the next step? Book a free call back in under two minutes.
The examples below are invented, but each shows a problem that comes up again and again for people who move between cities.
The suit for possession must be filed in Kolkata, where the house is. The owner briefs a Kolkata advocate, signs the vakalatnama remotely and gives evidence by video where the court allows it, travelling only for the dates that need him in person.
The Hindu Marriage Act lets the wife file where she lives, so the case stays in Jaipur unless a transfer is ordered. Transfers between states are made by the Supreme Court under section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and the convenience of the wife usually weighs heavily.
The Supreme Court held in 2023 that a sessions court or High Court can grant limited interim anticipatory bail even when the FIR is in another state, to give the accused time to approach the court with jurisdiction. The main bail application is then filed in Lucknow.
If the cheque was deposited in the payee's account at a Delhi branch, the complaint can be filed in Delhi under the amended cheque law, even though the drawer is in Chennai.
A RERA complaint must go to MahaRERA because the project is in Maharashtra, but a consumer complaint can be filed where the buyer lives or works, which gives a choice of forum.
For trial court and revenue work, local experience usually matters more than the city the lawyer comes from.
Enrolment allows practice across India, though local practice and language matter in each court.
Jurisdiction rules fix the possible places, and a court without jurisdiction will return or dismiss the case.
Both are state subjects and differ a great deal between cities.
Requests from anywhere in India are shown to advocates nearby first, then in the state and then nationally.
Mara Vakil is open to clients and advocates across India. When you post a matter from a town that does not yet have its own guide, it is shown first to advocates whose practice address is close to you, then to others in your state, and then more widely. The national guides on practice areas and the legal guides explain how each type of case works everywhere in India. More city guides will be added over time, starting with cities where we receive the most requests.
Prefer to speak to a lawyer first? Talk to a verified advocate who handles your kind of matter.
Fees depend far more on the forum and the advocate's experience than on the city alone, but there are patterns. High Court work in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai tends to cost more than trial court work in the same cities. Revenue cases in states such as Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh involve many short hearings, which add up over time. In any city, ask for a written estimate stage by stage, ask whether travel, copies and court fee are extra, and pay in a traceable way. An advocate cannot, under Bar Council rules, make payment depend on winning. Our legal fees guide explains common fee structures.
Mara Vakil is a technology platform, not a law firm; it passes your request to advocates and does not advise you itself. Your request is shown to enrolment-checked advocates near you who handle that type of matter, without your phone number. Only the advocate who accepts it receives your number and calls you. If no one nearby accepts, the request is shown across your state and then the country.
Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Lucknow, each with a city guide and twelve practice area guides.
Yes. Your request goes to advocates near you, then across your state, then across India.
Not necessarily. The place depends on the type of case: property where it lies, police cases where the offence happened, and so on.
In the court of the place where the property is situated.
Under the Hindu Marriage Act, she can file where she lives, in addition to where the marriage took place, where the husband lives or where they last lived together.
Yes, the Supreme Court can transfer a case between states on a transfer petition.
Where the payee's bank branch, in which the cheque was presented for collection, is located.
Where you live or work, or where the seller or service provider is, or where the problem arose.
Courts can grant limited interim protection so you can approach the court where the FIR was registered, which then decides regular or anticipatory bail.
Yes. Any enrolled advocate can appear anywhere in India, though local experience helps.
Yes. Advice, document review and drafting are often done by phone or video, and many courts allow video hearings in suitable cases.
Stamp duty on property is fixed by each state, along with its own valuation rates and concessions.
Tenancy is regulated by state laws, and several states have replaced older rent control laws with newer tenancy laws.
The Bombay High Court in Mumbai.
Yes, a bench of the Rajasthan High Court sits there permanently, though the court's main seat is in Jodhpur.
Yes, the Allahabad High Court has sat in Lucknow through a permanent bench since 1948, with its main seat at Prayagraj.
No. Noida is in Uttar Pradesh and its cases go to the Gautam Buddh Nagar courts and the Allahabad High Court.
No. Gurugram is in Haryana, with its own district courts and the Punjab and Haryana High Court above them.
Ask for the enrolment number and verify it with the State Bar Council where the advocate is enrolled.
If you are eligible, the District Legal Services Authority at your main court complex can assign a lawyer. Call 15100.
No. Bar Council rules restrict advertising by advocates, so we do not publish ratings or "best lawyer" lists.
Yes. Posting and the call back cost nothing anywhere in India. Mara Vakil is a technology platform, not a law firm.
Have your documents ready? Book a free call back and share the details with the advocate.
Usually yes. Courts generally want documents in the court's language or English, with a certified translation where needed.
Districts in the south of Tamil Nadu are attached to the Madras High Court's bench at Madurai, so their cases are filed there.
To the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.
No. Each state has its own court fee law, so the fee for a similar suit can differ.
Many states make it compulsory by law or rules. In any case, a certificate is needed for most official purposes.
The village land record used in Maharashtra and Gujarat, showing who holds a parcel of land and how it is used.
The municipal record of a property in the city, used for tax assessment and needed for many transactions.
The revenue record showing the holder of a piece of land in Tamil Nadu.
Use the CNR number on eCourts services, or the High Court's website, and stay in touch with your advocate.
Many courts allow video appearance for suitable stages. Your advocate can ask the court.
Generally after a period of stay, unless the vehicle has a BH series registration.
Yes, starting with places that send the most requests. Meanwhile, requests from anywhere are routed to nearby advocates.
Generally yes. Maintenance claims can be filed where the wife, child or parent lives.
Usually where the child ordinarily lives.
The station whose area covers the place where the offence happened. Any station must still register a zero FIR and forward it.
Large cities often have several district commissions, each covering particular areas.
No. RERA complaints go to the regulator of the state where the project is located.
Yes, when a relevant law, court structure or rule changes. Each guide shows when it was last reviewed.
Not usually. Your advocate attends routine dates, and you are needed mainly for evidence, mediation or when the court directs personal presence.
Many states now accept e-court fee or e-stamp payments online, which your advocate can arrange.
The state government and High Court fix court jurisdictions by notification, which is why suburbs sometimes fall under a neighbouring district.
Courts, local laws and practice differ from city to city. Read the guide for another city:
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Describe your matter, freeThis page gives general information about Indian law as of 15 October 2026. It is not legal advice and is not an advertisement or solicitation by any advocate, as restricted by Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules. Laws and court practice change, and the right answer depends on your facts; confirm the position for your case with an advocate before acting. Mara Vakil is a technology platform, not a law firm. Read our disclaimer.
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