Our Delhi Court Practice, by the Kind of Lawyer You Need

Which lawyer do I need for my problem?

Start with the forum, not the label. The question to ask is which court or tribunal has the power to give you what you want, and by when you must go there. A 'property lawyer' may need to file in a civil court, before a RERA authority, in a consumer commission or in the NCLT, depending on your position: co-owner, homebuyer or creditor. The same is true of most disputes.

Three things fix the forum in Delhi. The subject matter: some matters, such as company oppression or insolvency, can only go to a tribunal. The value: suits above ₹2 crore go to the Delhi High Court on its original side and below that to the district courts, commercial disputes of ₹3 lakh and above go to commercial courts, and consumer complaints are split between district, state and national commissions by the amount paid. And the place: the police station area, the defendant's address or where the contract was made.

Then comes the time limit. Many of the forums below have short and strict limits: 30 days for a cheque bounce notice, 45 days for a challenge to a SARFAESI possession notice, 30 days for most tribunal appeals. Missing one can end the case before it starts. That is why our first conversation about any matter checks the dates before anything else.

Common problems and where they go in Delhi

A quick map from the problem to the forum. The sections that follow explain each one and link to the detailed page.

Divorce, maintenance and custody in Delhi's family courts

Family disputes in Delhi are heard by family courts sitting inside the district court complexes at Saket, Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, Patiala House and Rouse Avenue. Which one hears your case depends on where you married, where your spouse lives, where you last lived together and, for a wife, where she lives now. Domestic Violence Act applications go to magistrates, and cruelty complaints go to the police.

Most matrimonial disputes involve more than one case at once, and most end in a settlement reached at the court's mediation centre. Our page on divorce cases in Delhi family courts explains which complex to file in, mutual consent and contested divorce, maintenance and custody, and how long each takes.

Criminal cases: police stations, district courts and the High Court

A criminal case in Delhi starts at a police station, or with a complaint to a magistrate, and moves through the district courts to the Sessions Court and, on bail, quashing or appeal, to the Delhi High Court. Since 1 July 2024 new cases are governed by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, though older cases largely continue under the IPC and CrPC.

The first questions in any criminal matter are practical. Has an FIR been registered, and under which sections? Has a notice of appearance under section 35 of the BNSS been issued, or is arrest likely? Is anticipatory bail needed today, or is there time to prepare? Our page on criminal cases in Delhi courts explains how the police stations, district courts and the High Court handle bail, trial and quashing under section 528 of the BNSS.

Drug cases under the NDPS Act

NDPS cases in Delhi are investigated by the Delhi Police or the Narcotics Control Bureau and tried by special courts. What matters most is the quantity recovered: small, intermediate or commercial, according to the notified table. In commercial quantity cases, bail is restricted by the twin conditions in section 37, which makes the defence far harder than in an ordinary criminal case.

Many NDPS defences turn on how the search and seizure were done, particularly compliance with section 42 (search on prior information) and section 50 (the right to be searched before a gazetted officer or magistrate). Our page on NDPS and NCB cases in Delhi covers these safeguards, the special courts and the time limits for investigation.

Corruption cases: CBI, Delhi ACB and the Rouse Avenue courts

Cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 against public servants are investigated by the CBI for central employees and by Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch for Delhi government employees, and tried by special judges. In Delhi, the CBI and ACB courts sit at the Rouse Avenue court complex. Since the 2018 amendment, giving a bribe is also an offence, and section 17A requires prior approval before an inquiry into decisions taken in official functions.

Trap cases, disproportionate assets cases and cases involving sanction to prosecute each raise different questions. Our page on anti-corruption cases in Delhi explains how they are investigated and defended.

Property, tenancy and other civil suits

Civil disputes over property, possession, partition, injunctions and money recovery go to the district civil courts in Delhi or, for suits valued above ₹2 crore, to the Delhi High Court on its original side. Tenancy disputes covered by the Delhi Rent Control Act 1958 go to the Rent Controller, and eviction for bona fide need under section 14(1)(e) has its own procedure.

Civil cases are slow, so the choice of remedy matters: a well-drafted injunction application may protect your position within weeks, while the suit itself may take years. Limitation is equally important, with three years for most money claims and twelve years for possession based on title. Our page on civil and property cases in Delhi covers these suits in detail.

Commercial disputes worth ₹3 lakh or more

Disputes arising from commercial transactions, with a specified value of ₹3 lakh or more, go to the commercial courts under the Commercial Courts Act 2015: commercial courts in the district complexes, and the commercial division of the Delhi High Court for higher values. Before filing, pre-institution mediation under section 12A is mandatory unless you are seeking urgent interim relief, as the Supreme Court confirmed in Patil Automation v Rakheja Engineers (2022).

Commercial suits run on strict timelines. The written statement must be filed within 120 days at the outside, and a weak defence can be dealt with by summary judgment under Order XIIIA. This rewards the side that prepares its documents before filing. Our page on commercial court cases in Delhi explains the procedure.

Arbitration seated in Delhi

If your contract has an arbitration clause, the dispute will usually be decided by an arbitral tribunal, not a court. The Delhi High Court still plays a large role: it appoints arbitrators under section 11, grants interim protection under section 9, and hears challenges to awards under section 34, which must be filed within three months, extendable by up to thirty days. The Delhi International Arbitration Centre at the High Court runs institutional arbitrations; many others are ad hoc.

The first question in any arbitration matter is the clause itself: its seat, the number of arbitrators, how they are appointed, and whether the dispute falls within it. Our page on arbitration cases in Delhi covers appointment, interim relief, the award and enforcement.

Company disputes, contracts and compliance

Business clients usually need two kinds of help: advice and documentation that keep problems from arising, and representation when a dispute does arise. Shareholder agreements, director responsibilities under section 166 of the Companies Act, ROC compliance, startup structuring and contract disputes all fall here. Our page on corporate cases in Delhi explains how we work with companies and founders.

When a company dispute turns into litigation, it usually goes to the National Company Law Tribunal. Oppression and mismanagement petitions under sections 241 and 242 need 10 per cent of the shareholding or 100 members under section 244, though the tribunal can waive this. Mergers and schemes of arrangement also go to the NCLT. Our page on NCLT cases in Delhi covers the New Delhi benches and appeals to the NCLAT.

Insolvency under the IBC

Insolvency proceedings against companies under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 are filed before the NCLT. A financial creditor files under section 7, an operational creditor under section 9 after a demand notice under section 8, and a company can file its own application under section 10. The minimum default for initiating proceedings against a company is ₹1 crore. Homebuyers count as financial creditors but need 100 allottees or 10 per cent of the project to file.

Insolvency is often used as a recovery tool, but it is not one: once admitted, the company is managed by a resolution professional and the creditor becomes one voice among many. For an operational creditor, a genuine pre-existing dispute raised by the debtor will defeat the petition. Our page on insolvency cases in Delhi explains when IBC proceedings make sense for creditors, debtors, homebuyers and personal guarantors.

Bank loans, SARFAESI notices and the DRT

Banks and financial institutions recover debts of ₹20 lakh and above through the Debts Recovery Tribunal, and enforce security under the SARFAESI Act 2002 without going to court at all. A borrower who receives a section 13(2) demand notice has 60 days to pay and can raise objections, which the bank must answer within 15 days. Once the bank takes possession under section 13(4), the borrower can challenge it before the DRT under section 17 within 45 days.

Appeals from the DRT go to the Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal, and they need a pre-deposit, which DRAT can reduce. The pre-deposit is often the real obstacle, so the case should be built properly at the DRT stage. Our page on DRT cases in Delhi covers section 17 applications, defending recovery applications and DRAT appeals.

Consumer complaints in Delhi

Consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 go to the District Commission where the amount paid is up to ₹50 lakh, the Delhi State Commission above ₹50 lakh and up to ₹2 crore, and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission above ₹2 crore. The complaint must be filed within two years of the cause of action, and can be filed online on the e-Daakhil portal. There is no fee for claims up to ₹5 lakh.

Builder delay, insurance claim rejection, medical negligence, bank services and e-commerce disputes are the most common. Homebuyers can choose between a consumer commission and the RERA authority. Our page on consumer cases in Delhi explains the commissions, appeals and what evidence each kind of complaint needs.

Environmental cases before the National Green Tribunal

The National Green Tribunal's Principal Bench sits in New Delhi and hears cases involving a substantial question relating to the environment under the seven Acts listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act 2010. Applications under section 14 must be filed within six months of the cause of action, and appeals against pollution control board orders and environmental clearances under section 16 within thirty days, with limited room for condoning delay.

Residents' welfare associations, industries facing closure orders and project proponents challenging conditions all come to the NGT. Our page on NGT cases in Delhi covers who can file, time limits and appeals to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court

Most cases reach the Supreme Court through a special leave petition under Article 136, filed within 90 days of the High Court's judgment. Writ petitions under Article 32 are for violations of fundamental rights, and transfer petitions, especially in matrimonial cases, are common. Only an Advocate-on-Record can file in the Supreme Court; other advocates can argue. We work with Advocates-on-Record for filing.

The Supreme Court admits only a fraction of the petitions filed before it, so the decision to go there should be made on a realistic view of the case, not as a reflex after losing in the High Court. Our page on Supreme Court cases explains filing, listing, timelines and costs in general terms.

When more than one forum is possible

Many disputes can be taken to more than one place. The choice affects speed, cost and what you can actually recover.

Choosing a criminal case for what is really a civil dispute is a common mistake. Courts regularly quash FIRs that try to turn a contract dispute into cheating, and the complainant ends up having lost time. The reverse is also true: a genuine fraud should not be left to a slow civil suit while the money disappears.

Time limits that catch people out

Some delays can be condoned if there is sufficient cause, but you should never plan on it. If a date is close, contact us before you finish collecting every paper.

How a matter comes to us and what happens first

1. First conversation

   You call, message on WhatsApp or send an enquiry. Advocate Sadhna Singh usually takes the first call, notes the facts and dates, and asks for the key papers.

2. Reading the papers

   We read the documents before advising: the FIR, notice, agreement, order or petition. Advocate B.K. Singh reviews any matter involving arrest, a tribunal, the High Court or the Supreme Court.

3. Forum and time limit

   We tell you which court or tribunal the matter belongs in, the deadline, and whether anything must be done urgently, such as a bail application, a caveat or a reply to a notice.

4. Written terms

   Fees are discussed at the first meeting and agreed in writing, stage by stage. Court fees and out-of-pocket costs are separate.

5. Filing and appearances

   We draft, file and appear. Where a case needs associate counsel in another state or an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court, we arrange it and stay responsible for the matter.

6. Keeping you informed

   After each hearing you are told what happened, the next date and what is needed from you. Order sheets and copies are shared as they become available.

When you may not need to go to court at all

• A well-drafted legal notice. Many money disputes, tenancy problems and service complaints are resolved after a clear notice that sets out the facts, the law and a deadline.
• Mediation. Court-annexed mediation centres in each Delhi district court complex, and pre-institution mediation for commercial disputes, settle a large share of cases at little cost.
• Ombudsman schemes. Service complaints against banks can go to the RBI Integrated Ombudsman, and insurance disputes to the Insurance Ombudsman, often before any consumer case.
• Lok Adalat. Cheque bounce, bank recovery, motor accident and family cases are regularly settled at Lok Adalats. The award is final and cannot be appealed.
• Small consumer claims. A straightforward complaint for a small amount can be filed online by the consumer without a lawyer. We will tell you if that is the sensible course.

What to send us before the first meeting

• A short note of what happened, with dates, in your own words.
• The most recent paper you have received: notice, FIR, summons, order or petition.
• The agreement, loan documents, invoices or title documents behind the dispute.
• The next date of hearing, if any case is already pending.
• What you want: money, possession, protection, bail, a divorce, or simply advice.
• Your phone number and the best time to call.

Who handles your case

B.K. Singh & Associates has two advocates. Advocate B.K. Singh, the founder, has more than twenty years in practice and appears before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, the district courts and the tribunals listed on this page; his background in computer science (MCA) is useful in cyber crime, electronic evidence and technology contracts. Advocate Sadhna Singh, the partner, is usually your first contact, drafts pleadings and runs matters day to day, particularly in family, consumer, civil and recovery work.

Where a case needs it, we work with associate counsel in other states and with Advocates-on-Record for Supreme Court filing, and with clerks and research support. Our offices are in Dwarka, New Delhi and Vaishali, Ghaziabad. If you are not sure which of the pages above fits your problem, describe it briefly through the online enquiry form and we will tell you where it belongs.