This Privacy Policy explains how Mara Vakil handles your personal data when you use our website, app and services. We follow the Information Technology Act, 2000 and related rules, and we are aligning our practices with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 as they come into force.
1. Data we collect
- Contact and account data: name, mobile number, email, city, preferred language, login records and role (client or advocate).
- Matter details: the description of your legal problem, practice area, court or city, urgency, and documents you choose to upload.
- Advocate data: enrolment number, State Bar Council, qualifications, practice areas, courts, languages, office contact and proof submitted for verification.
- Payment data: Mara Vakil collects payment only for legal document services that you order, after you confirm the fee; finding and consulting advocates is free, and advocate plans are not offered at present. For each payment we keep the amount, date, payment method and transaction reference, for accounts, receipts and refunds. We do not store card numbers, CVV, UPI PINs or net banking passwords first.
- Usage and device data: pages viewed, browser, device type, approximate location from IP, and data saved in your browser (see the Cookie Policy).
- Support data: messages you send to us and our replies.
2. Why we use it
- To secure the logins that Mara Vakil issues to approved advocates and staff.
- To show your matter to suitable advocates and connect you with the one who accepts it.
- To verify advocates and keep the directory accurate.
- To handle complaints.
- To answer support requests and grievances.
- To prevent fraud, fake profiles and misuse, and to comply with law and lawful requests from authorities.
- To improve the Platform using aggregated, de-identified statistics.
We do not sell your personal data. We do not use the contents of your legal matter for advertising.
3. Consent and withdrawal
We process your data on the basis of your consent, given when you sign up or send a request, or for other legitimate uses permitted by law. You can withdraw consent at any time by writing to help@maravakil.in. Withdrawal does not affect processing already done, and we may need to keep some data where the law requires it. If you withdraw consent, we may not be able to continue providing services that depend on it.
4. Who we share it with
- Advocates: the description of your matter is visible to advocates who handle that kind of matter; your name and contact details go only to the advocate who accepts it, or the advocate you choose.
- Service providers: hosting, SMS/email, payment gateway and support tools, who process data on our instructions and under confidentiality obligations.
- Authorities: where required by law, court order or a lawful request from a government agency.
- Business transfer: if the Platform is merged or sold, subject to this policy.
An advocate who receives your data is responsible for it as part of their professional duty of confidentiality.
5. Sensitive information
Please share only what is needed to describe your matter. Avoid putting Aadhaar, PAN, bank or card numbers, passwords or health records in a request description. If a document is needed, share it with the advocate you engage through the secure documents section.
6. How long we keep data
We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above: account data while your account is active; request and case records for as long as needed to provide the service, handle disputes and meet legal, tax and accounting requirements; and then we delete or anonymise it.
7. Security
We use reasonable security practices such as encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, password logins that lock after repeated wrong attempts, and logging to protect data. No system is completely secure; if a personal data breach affects you, we will inform you and the authorities as required by law.
8. Your rights
- Get a summary of the personal data we process about you and who we shared it with.
- Ask us to correct, complete, update or erase your personal data.
- Withdraw consent.
- Nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.
- Raise a grievance with us, and if unresolved, approach the Data Protection Board of India once it is available to you under the law.
To use these rights, write to help@maravakil.in from your registered email or mobile, with the subject "Data request".
Court groups for advocates
This part applies only to advocates who join a Mara Vakil court group. See also the Court Groups Terms.
- What we use: from your approved advocate profile, your name, mobile number, enrolment number, State Bar Council and city; anything you write in the optional "practise at this court" box; and a record of the consent you gave (date, time, the version of the terms and your internet address).
- Why: to check that you are eligible, to approve or decline your request, to run the group, to send you group notices, and to keep a record of who joined, when and on what basis.
- Who sees it: the Mara Vakil admin team sees all of it. Other members of the same group see only your name and city. We do not sell or share group member details with anyone else, including any bar association.
- Notices: group notices are shown on Mara Vakil (bell, sound and browser pop-up). We do not use your number for SMS or WhatsApp marketing for court groups.
- Your choices: giving this consent is voluntary and you can withdraw it as easily as you gave it: leave the group with one click, or delete all your group records with the "Delete all my group data" button, or write to help@maravakil.in. Withdrawal does not affect your advocate profile.
- How long we keep it: while you are a member. Records of members who left or whose request was rejected are deleted one year after the last change, unless the law requires us to keep them longer, for example while a complaint is being handled.
- Your rights: under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you can ask for a summary of the data we hold, correction, completion or erasure, raise a grievance with our Grievance Officer, and nominate a person to exercise your rights. Write to help@maravakil.in.
Intern Hub and job applications
- Students who apply for an internship: we collect your name, mobile, email, city, college, course, year, your note and CV. They are shared only with the advocate who posted the opening and the Mara Vakil team, to consider you for that opening. You must be 18 or older. You can delete your application and CV at any time from the Intern Hub. Records of closed or rejected postings are deleted one year after the last change.
- Advocates who post openings: your name and enrolment number are shown on the posting.
- People who apply for a job with Mara Vakil: we collect your name, mobile, email, city, the role you want, experience, languages and note, only to consider you for work and contact you. Applications not selected are deleted within six months. You can ask us to delete your application earlier by writing to help@maravakil.in.
9. Children
The Platform is meant for adults. We do not knowingly process the personal data of a child (a person below 18) without verifiable consent of a parent or lawful guardian. If a parent or guardian is using the Platform for a child's matter, they should submit the request themselves.
10. Cookies and browser storage
We use essential browser storage to keep you logged in and remember your choices. Read the Cookie Policy.
11. Data outside India
Some service providers may store or process data outside India. Where this happens, we transfer data only as permitted under Indian law.
12. Grievance Officer
For any privacy concern, contact our Grievance Officer at help@maravakil.in with the subject "Grievance". See Grievance Redressal for timelines.
13. Changes
We may update this policy. The "Last updated" date shows the current version. Significant changes will be notified on the Platform.
Mara Vakil is a technology platform, not a law firm. This page is not legal advice. Questions: help@maravakil.in.