Hire a Contract Lawyer in India · Online, Pan-India
Hire a contract lawyer for drafting, review, or negotiation. Bar Council-enrolled advocates work with startups, businesses, and enterprises in every Indian city, fully online. Fixed fees from ₹3,499, and standard contracts are ready in 24 to 48 hours.
Need a contract drafted under Indian law, an agreement reviewed before you sign, or a negotiation handled? Share the details and a contract lawyer from our team will reply with a clear fixed quote and timeline. No obligation.
A contract decides who gets paid, who is liable, who owns what, and what happens when something goes wrong. My Legal Pal gives startups, SMEs, and enterprises across India a team of contract lawyers to draft, review, and negotiate their agreements. Every contract is handled by an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of India, and each one is written for the facts of your deal.
You do not need to be in the same city as your lawyer. The work is done online, so a founder in Pune, a manufacturer in Ludhiana, and an agency in Kochi hire us the same way: share the details, get a fixed quote, and receive the contract in days. This page is for hiring a lawyer for drafting, review or negotiation. If you only want to understand the law first, start with our guide to commercial contracts in India.
On this page: What we check · Signing and stamping · Courts and arbitration · Time limits · Payment terms · Foreign parties · Cost · FAQ
Four steps, all online, from any Indian city. No meetings needed.
Tell us what you need, or send the agreement you were given, from any city in India. It takes a few minutes, by form or WhatsApp.
A contract lawyer reads your request and replies within 2 hours with a fixed fee and a timeline.
Your contract is drafted, reviewed, or negotiated by a Bar Council-enrolled advocate, with a plain-language note on the key risks.
You get revisions until the contract reflects the deal. We also advise on stamp duty and execution for your state.
A template is written for no one in particular. An AI draft can read well and still be wrong for India: a liability cap that does not cap what you think, an indemnity that runs the wrong way, a dispute clause that names the wrong court or arbitration seat, or too little stamp duty, which keeps the document out of evidence in an Indian court until the duty and penalty are paid. A contract lawyer finds the risks you did not discuss, decides who should carry each one, and writes clauses that put the risk in the right place.
A contract written for Indian law and your state’s stamp rules costs less than the problem it prevents. If you are still deciding whether you need one, read how to hire a contract lawyer and what a contract lawyer does.
Every contract we draft meets the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and avoids clauses Indian courts treat as void, such as most post-employment non-competes under Section 27. We also plan for the practical side: the right stamp duty for your state, which is why we answer the common question of whether a contract is valid without stamp paper, and dispute clauses that can be enforced when you need them. For the full legal framework, see commercial contracts in India. The sections below show what our advocates check on a real Indian deal.
Ten points that decide whether an agreement works in India, not only on paper.
We confirm the person signing has authority for the company, LLP or firm, and that party names, registered addresses and company numbers match the records. See who can sign a contract for a company.
Stamp duty differs by state, and an under-stamped document cannot be used as evidence until duty and penalty are paid. We note the duty, the e-stamping route and the time to pay. See contract without stamp paper.
The law and the courts are chosen on purpose, and an exclusive jurisdiction clause names a court that can actually hear the case.
Seat, venue, language, number of arbitrators and institution are written in so the clause works the first time it is used. See arbitration agreement template.
Due dates, invoicing, interest on late payment, GST and TDS are set out. Terms for micro and small suppliers must respect the 45-day limit in the MSMED Act.
A liability cap that holds, an indemnity that runs the right way, and carve-outs for fraud, IP and confidentiality. See indemnity clauses and liability caps.
Non-competes, non-solicits and exclusivity are checked against Section 27 of the Contract Act, so you do not rely on a clause a court will not enforce.
Notice periods, cure periods, exit costs and notice addresses are fixed, so a notice you send later counts. See termination of a contract.
Where personal data is shared, the contract says who decides the purpose and who handles the data under the DPDP Act. See DPDP contract compliance.
Whether the document can be signed electronically, and whether it must be registered, as some property-related documents must be.
Each sector has its own contract risks under Indian law and regulation. We draft for them.
Founders agreements, SAFEs, ESOPs, and the shareholder papers a raise needs. See our startup lawyers in India.
Subscription terms, MSAs, SLAs, and data terms, with caps on liability and clear data ownership. See lawyers for SaaS companies.
Partner, lending, and payments agreements that sit alongside RBI and SEBI rules. See fintech lawyers in India.
Seller, vendor, and platform agreements and consumer terms. See e-commerce lawyers in India.
Statements of work, MSAs, and consultant contracts with a clear scope, payment terms, and IP clauses.
Supply, distribution, and vendor agreements covering delivery, quality warranties, and force majeure for Indian supply chains.
Service and data-processing agreements, and consent terms under the DPDP Act.
Works contracts, contractor agreements, and payment-milestone and delay clauses, with state stamp duty in view.
Service agreements that fix scope, payment, and IP ownership.
Signing problems usually surface after a dispute starts. A company acts through people it has authorised, so we check that the signatory holds that authority, whether through a board resolution, a power of attorney or the articles. LLPs, partnerships and sole proprietors each have their own rules on who can bind the business. Our short guide on who can sign a contract for a company lists what to confirm.
Electronic signatures. Under Section 10A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, a contract is not unenforceable only because it was made electronically, and Aadhaar eSign and digital signature certificates are recognised. A few documents still need paper formalities, including powers of attorney, trusts, wills and contracts for the sale of immovable property. We tell you which route applies to your document.
Stamping and registration. Stamp duty is a state matter and many states accept e-stamping. Leases of immovable property for more than one year, and sale of immovable property, generally also need registration. We flag both in the delivery note so the signed contract is not weak in court. The legal background is in our guide to commercial contracts in India.
The dispute clause is where an Indian contract is won or lost. We write it before the dispute.
Commercial disputes of the specified value, ₹3 lakh and above, go to commercial courts under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, which run on a stricter timetable than ordinary civil suits. See how to enforce a contract in India.
Section 12A of that Act requires pre-institution mediation before a commercial suit, unless you need urgent interim relief, and the Supreme Court has treated the step as mandatory. We check whether it applies to you and prepare the file.
Under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 the seat of arbitration decides which courts supervise the process. We draft the clause for an Indian or international institution and for the language and number of arbitrators you want.
Parties can agree on one court among those that already have jurisdiction. They cannot give power to a court that has none. We name a court that works for you and is reachable for the other side.
Choosing between settlement routes? Read mediation, arbitration and litigation compared. For a mediation clause, see our mediation agreement template.
A suit for compensation for breach of contract generally has to be filed within three years of the breach under the Limitation Act, 1963, and the same limits apply to arbitration claims. A signed, written acknowledgement of the debt made before time runs out can start a fresh period. The period differs by type of claim, so we confirm it for yours at the start.
Your contract also sets shorter windows: notice of a claim, a cure period, a warranty period, a deadline to dispute an invoice. We write these as dates and notice steps you can put in a calendar, and we place them near each other in the document so none is missed. If the other side has already broken the agreement, the next step is usually a legal notice for breach of contract, and our guide to what to do if you are accused of breach covers the other side of the table.
Late payment is one of the most common causes of a contract dispute, and a vague payment clause makes it harder to recover. We set a clear due date counted from invoice, interest on late payment, a milestone or advance structure where it fits, and who bears GST and TDS, so each side knows what will be paid and when.
Micro and small suppliers. If a supplier is a micro or small enterprise registered under the MSMED Act, 2006, the buyer must pay within the agreed time, and the agreed time cannot run beyond 45 days. Delay attracts compound interest at three times the bank rate. We draft your terms so you either comply as a buyer or use the rule as a supplier. The MSME Samadhaan portal is one recovery route for supplier delay.
If you are already owed money, see our legal notice for non-payment of dues, our guide on recovering money through a legal notice and what to do when someone refuses to pay after signing.
If the other side in India has not paid, has delayed, or has broken the agreement, the first step is usually a legal notice under Indian law. We handle a legal notice for breach of contract, a legal notice for non-payment of dues and a wrongful termination or unpaid salary notice, and our business dispute mediation and negotiation service covers settlement outside Indian courts. Most disputes trace back to a clause that was missing, vague, or copied from a template, so a good contract is the cheapest fix.
Drafting, review, and negotiation under Indian law, on a fixed fee.
A new contract written for your deal, with the liability, indemnity, termination and IP clauses set for Indian courts.
An agreement someone sent you, checked against Indian law and your state’s stamp rules, with a note on what to change.
Redlines and terms negotiated for you with Indian companies and vendors, so you hold ground on the clauses that matter.
Most commercial agreements, drafted under Indian law. These are the ones clients ask for most.
Confidentiality terms drafted for Indian courts.
Scope, payment and liability for services in India.
One framework for ongoing work with Indian clients and vendors.
Subscription, SLA and DPDP data terms for software sold in India.
Delivery, quality and liability, with Indian stamp duty in mind.
Terms that respect Indian labour law and Section 27.
Rights between shareholders of an Indian company.
Equity, roles and vesting for Indian startups.
Distributors and territories across Indian states.
Scope, payment and IP for consultants in India.
Franchise terms for Indian businesses.
Structure and exit terms for joint ventures in India.
Agents acting for you in the Indian market.
Shared projects between Indian parties.
Scope, milestones and IP for software built in India.
Transfer IP under Indian copyright law.
Key deal terms agreed before the long-form papers, for Indian investments and acquisitions.
Website, app and sales terms that bind Indian customers.
A stand-alone clause or agreement, with the seat and rules set for India.
Terms for handling personal data, written with the DPDP Act in view.
When one side is outside India, the real question is where you can enforce the contract. A judgment from a court in a country the Government of India has notified as a reciprocating territory, such as the UK, Singapore or the UAE, can be enforced in India through a direct execution petition. A judgment from a court elsewhere, including most US courts, generally needs a fresh suit on the judgment in India. Arbitral awards from countries covered by the New York Convention are often easier to enforce. That is why arbitration is often the practical choice with an Indian counterparty.
We draft cross-border contracts with the enforcement route in mind: governing law, seat, language, currency, payment channel and the RBI and FEMA points that affect how money moves. A foreign company hiring staff or contractors in India should also read hiring in India: contracts for foreign companies and arbitration vs litigation in cross-border contracts.
Contract lawyers outside India: USA, London, Canada, Dubai, Singapore, the EU, Germany and Melbourne. For work under foreign law, see our global contract drafting and contract review services.
We quote a fixed fee before work starts, so there is no hourly meter and no surprise invoice. Standard drafting or review starts at ₹3,499. Longer or higher-value agreements, such as investment documents or multi-party deals, are quoted after a free assessment. That fee covers revisions and your questions, so you can ask freely.
If you need a lawyer on call through the year instead of one contract at a time, a legal retainer in India starts from ₹10,000 a month. What moves the fee is the length of the document, the number of parties, the deal value and risk, how many rounds of negotiation you expect, a foreign party and how fast you need it. Share these in the form and the quote already accounts for them. Want to know more about what drives the price? Read how much lawyers charge to draft a contract in India and what contract review costs.
Our team works online, so you get the same service from any city.
IT, SaaS, and pharma contracts.
Startup, VC, and technology contracts.
Finance, media, and commercial contracts.
Looking for a contract lawyer in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur or another city? You do not have to find someone nearby. Share your contract online, and an advocate from our team will handle it for the law and the state stamp rules that apply to you. See all of our legal services across India or our wider corporate lawyers in India practice.
Read these before you commit to a contract in India.
Is it valid, and what the Supreme Court said.
What drives the fee up or down.
Costs, options, and a checklist.
The role, and when you need one.
Types, key clauses, and the law.
Your options when the other side will not perform.
Short guides on the clauses and problems that come up most in Indian contracts.
When a fixed penalty clause will be enforced.
What you promise to cover, and for whom.
Events that excuse performance.
Why an uncapped exposure is a risk.
Process and consequences.
What you can and cannot walk away from.
The legal difference.
Five clauses to question before you sign.
Which dispute route fits.
What to push on and what to accept.
What it covers and how to choose.
Which terms win when they differ.
Our startup in Singapore collaborated with My Legal Pal for drafting investment agreements. They understood international investor concerns and provided documents that worked seamlessly in both jurisdictions.
As a Canadian startup working with investors in Asia, we needed solid contracts that satisfied all parties. My Legal Pal delivered documents that were both internationally compliant and commercially practical.
This page is written and reviewed by Prakhar Rai, an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of India and the founder of My Legal Pal. He is an alumnus of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, with a Master of Business Laws. His practice covers commercial contracts for startups, technology companies, and SMEs, from NDAs and service agreements to shareholders agreements and fundraising documents. Contract work at My Legal Pal is led by Prakhar and delivered by a team of qualified advocates with commercial drafting experience.
Reviewed for legal accuracy by Prakhar Rai, Advocate (Bar Council of India). Last updated: November 2026.
Drafting, review, and negotiation for startups and businesses in every Indian city. Bar Council-enrolled advocates, fixed fees from ₹3,499, standard turnaround 24 to 48 hours.
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