In short. B.K. Singh & Associates collects only the details you give us (name, mobile number, email, your message and documents) to reply to you and handle your legal matter. We do not sell data or run advertising trackers. You can ask to see, correct or erase your data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 by writing to advocates@legals365.com.
This page covers the website bksingh.org and the firm's offices in Dwarka, New Delhi and Vaishali, Ghaziabad. It sits alongside our disclaimer, which explains the Bar Council of India rules on advertising, and our terms and conditions, which govern use of the site. In this policy, we means the firm and its two advocates, Advocate B.K. Singh and Advocate Sadhna Singh, together with the clerks and associate counsel who work on matters with us.
A law firm holds more sensitive information than most businesses: details of marriages, debts, arrests, health, property and money. Data protection law is only one layer of protection. The older and stricter layer is the advocate's duty of confidentiality, which applies whether or not any data protection law does. Both are explained below. If you only want to know how to reach us about your data, go to the grievance section at the end or use the contact page.
- Who holds your data
- B.K. Singh & Associates, as data fiduciary
- Main laws
- DPDP Act 2023, IT Act 2000, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023
- What the website form collects
- Name, mobile, optional email, matter type, message
- Cookies set by this site
- None for advertising or tracking
- Grievance contact
- advocates@legals365.com, +91 96259 61599
- Data requests
- Acknowledged within 7 days, answered within 30 days
What personal data does bksingh.org collect?
The website collects personal data only when you choose to send it. The enquiry form asks for your name, mobile number, an optional email address, the type of matter from a short list, and a free-text description of what has happened. The form also records which page you sent it from, so we know whether you were reading about bail or about a consumer complaint. Nothing else is asked for, and you can send an enquiry without giving an email address.
Outside the website, we receive personal data when you call or WhatsApp us on +91 96259 61599, write to advocates@legals365.com, or visit one of our offices. Once you become a client, the volume grows: identity documents for the vakalatnama, copies of notices, FIRs, agreements, bank statements, medical records in some cases, and messages exchanged over months. Much of this is sensitive by any standard, and we handle it that way.
We also end up holding data about people who are not our clients: the opposite party, witnesses, co-accused, family members, company directors. That data reaches us inside your papers or from court records, and we use it only for the case in which it arrived.
What we collect, why, and how long we keep it
The table gives the usual position. Individual matters can need longer retention, for example where an appeal is pending or a court has directed that records be preserved.
| Where it comes from | What we receive | What we use it for | How long we usually keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry form on this site | Name, mobile, optional email, matter type, message, page sent from | Replying to you, checking conflicts, deciding whether we can help | About one year if you do not engage us, then deleted |
| Phone calls | Your number, call time, our notes of what you tell us | Calling back, fixing a meeting, opening a file | As for enquiries; moved to the client file if you engage us |
| Number, display name, messages, documents and voice notes | Quick updates, receiving papers, reminders of the next date | Exported to the client file; phone copies cleared periodically | |
| Address, correspondence, attachments | Advice, drafts, sending copies of orders | Kept with the client file | |
| Client file | Identity proof, vakalatnama, pleadings, evidence, orders, fee records | Running the case, accounts, tax records | Usually several years after the matter ends |
| Web server logs | IP address, browser type, page requested, time | Security, fixing errors, blocking spam | Rotated by the host, typically within a few months |
Fee and payment records are kept for the period that tax and accounting law requires, which can be longer than our general period for correspondence.
What happens to an enquiry after you press Send?
Your enquiry is sent by email to the firm's inbox at advocates@legals365.com. It is not stored in a database on the website, and the website keeps no copy once the email goes out. The page shows a short confirmation, and one of us reads the enquiry, usually Advocate Sadhna Singh, who handles first contact for most matters.
The first thing we do with an enquiry is a conflict check: we look at whether we already act for, or have acted against, the person or company you name. That is why we may ask for the other side's name before we discuss your problem in detail. If there is a conflict, we tell you we cannot act, without explaining why, and we do not use what you sent for the other client's benefit.
The form has a hidden field that catches automated spam; it collects nothing from real visitors. If you prefer not to use the form, you can call, write or walk in. The online enquiry page explains what to put in a message so that we can answer quickly.
Calls, WhatsApp and email: what we keep
When you call us, the firm's phone shows your number and the time of the call. We do not record calls. We do make written notes of what you tell us about the matter, because a lawyer working from memory makes mistakes, and those notes go into the enquiry or client file.
WhatsApp is how most clients in Delhi NCR prefer to send papers, and we use it. You should know what that involves. WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but the service is run by Meta, which collects its own metadata (who messaged whom, and when) under its own privacy policy, not ours. Documents you send are saved on the firm's phone and, for client matters, moved to the matter file. We clear older chats from the phone periodically so that the phone is not the only place, or the most exposed place, where your papers sit.
Email is used for drafts, written advice and copies of orders. Our email runs on a third-party service, and messages are stored on its servers. If a document is especially sensitive, such as medical records in a matrimonial case or a statement in a criminal matter, tell us and we will agree a safer way to exchange it, including handing it over in person at the Dwarka or Vaishali office.
Does this website use cookies or analytics?
This website does not set advertising or tracking cookies, and at present it does not run an analytics script. If we add basic visitor statistics later, this section will say so before the change goes live, and we will choose a tool that does not build advertising profiles.
Two things on the site do touch your browser. First, when you accept the Bar Council of India notice on your first visit, your browser stores a small note (in local storage, not a cookie) so the notice does not reappear on every page. It holds no personal information, and clearing your browser data removes it. Second, the site loads its fonts from Google Fonts, and some pages show an embedded Google Map of our office. Your browser contacts Google's servers for these, so Google receives your IP address and may set its own cookies under its own policy.
The WhatsApp button opens WhatsApp, and the phone and email links open your phone or mail app. Once you leave the site through those links, the privacy terms of WhatsApp, your mobile operator or your email provider apply.
Why we use your data, and the legal basis under the DPDP Act
We process personal data for a small number of purposes: to reply to enquiries, to decide whether we can take a matter, to advise and represent clients, to keep accounts, and to meet our obligations to courts, the Bar Council and tax authorities. We do not use enquiry data for marketing, and we do not send newsletters or promotional messages. The Bar Council rules would not allow it in any case.
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, personal data may be processed with consent or for certain legitimate uses. When you send an enquiry or engage us, you give that data voluntarily for a stated purpose (getting legal help), and we use it for that purpose. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it. Withdrawal does not undo processing already done, and it may mean we cannot continue to act.
The Act also recognises that personal data may be processed where it is necessary for enforcing legal rights or claims, and where a law or a court order requires it. That is the basis on which we hold data about opposing parties and witnesses, and on which we file documents in court. The same care applies: we use that data only for the case.
Which laws govern your data with us?
Several laws overlap. For a law firm, the duty of confidentiality is the oldest of them and the one that matters most in practice.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023
The main data protection law. It sets out notice and consent, the duties of a data fiduciary (accuracy, security safeguards, reporting breaches, erasing data once the purpose is over) and the rights of a data principal (information, correction, erasure, grievance redressal, nomination). Complaints that the data fiduciary does not resolve go to the Data Protection Board of India.
Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2025
Notified in November 2025 with a phased start, so some obligations take effect later than others. We follow the Act's principles now rather than waiting for each date, and we will update this page as the remaining provisions come into force. Check the current notification for exact dates.
Information Technology Act 2000, section 43A
Requires bodies handling sensitive personal data to maintain reasonable security practices, read with the 2011 rules on sensitive personal data. The DPDP Act is to replace section 43A as its provisions come into force. The IT Act's offence provisions on hacking and data theft continue to apply.
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, section 132
Protects professional communications between an advocate and client. An advocate cannot disclose them without the client's express consent, subject to narrow exceptions such as communications made to further an illegal purpose. It replaced section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act from 1 July 2024.
Advocates Act 1961 and Bar Council of India Rules
Set the professional standards an advocate must keep, including the duty not to breach a client's confidence, and Rule 36, which bars advertising and soliciting work. That rule is one reason we never use your details to market anything to you.
Client confidentiality and advocate-client privilege
Anything you tell us in order to get legal advice is confidential from the first conversation, even if you never engage us. That is a professional duty, not a courtesy. Under section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, we cannot be made to disclose what you told us for the purpose of legal advice, and we cannot volunteer it, unless you expressly agree. The same protection extends to our clerks and to associate counsel working on your matter.
Privilege has limits, and it is better that you know them now. It does not cover communications made to further an illegal purpose, and it does not protect facts that exist independently of what you told us. A document does not become privileged because you handed it to your lawyer; a bank statement, for instance, can still be called for by a court or an investigating agency from the bank.
Advocate B.K. Singh makes a habit of telling a new client at the first meeting what is confidential, what is not, and what will end up in a court file that the other side, and sometimes the public, can read. Pleadings, affidavits and evidence filed in court become part of the record. Family court proceedings are held in camera and the identity of victims in sexual offence cases is protected by law, but most other filings are not private once filed.
Who sees your data, and who do we share it with?
Inside the firm, your data is seen by the advocates and staff who work on your matter, and no one else. That usually means Advocate Sadhna Singh, who runs files day to day, the founder where he is handling the hearing or the strategy, and the clerk who files papers and inspects records. The our team page explains how work is divided.
Outside the firm, we share data only where the matter needs it. The usual cases are: associate counsel or an Advocate-on-Record when a case goes to the Supreme Court or to a court in another state; the court, tribunal or registry where we file; the opposite party and its lawyers, who receive copies of what we file; translators, typists or process servers on a need-to-know basis; and our providers of email, website hosting and storage, who hold data on our behalf. Where we bring in associate counsel, we tell you first.
We do not sell personal data, rent it, or share it with anyone for marketing. We disclose data to the police, an investigating agency or a regulator only where the law compels it and privilege does not protect it, and where we are allowed to, we tell you before we do so.
Do you hold data about the other party or witnesses?
Yes. A legal file cannot be built without it. A divorce petition names the spouse and often the in-laws; a recovery suit names the debtor and its directors; a defence file in a criminal case holds the complainant's statement and the witnesses' addresses from the chargesheet. We receive this from our clients and from court and public records, such as ROC filings, cause lists and certified copies of orders.
We use that data only for the matter in which we received it, keep it within the client file, and apply the same retention rules. If you are the other party in a case where we act and you want to know what we hold about you, write to us. We will answer as far as we can, but we cannot hand over our client's confidential papers or our own working notes, because the law protects them. The proper route to the record is through the court.
How long do you keep my data?
We keep data for as long as the purpose needs it, then delete it or return it. For enquiries that do not lead to an engagement, that is about one year, which allows for people who come back after a few months when a hearing date or a notice arrives. After that, the enquiry email and any attached documents are deleted.
Client files are kept longer. A matter can come back years after it seemed finished: an appeal is filed late with an application for condonation of delay, a decree is put into execution, a criminal case is revived, or a client asks for a copy of an old order. Fee records must also be kept for the period tax law requires. So we usually keep closed client files for several years after the last step in the matter, and longer where a court has directed preservation or an appeal is still possible.
Original documents belong to you. We return originals when a matter ends, or earlier if you ask, and keep only copies. If you want your file erased after the retention period, or earlier, write to us. The limits on early erasure are explained further down.
How do I ask to see, correct or delete my data?
A request about your personal data does not need a lawyer or a fee. A plain message is enough.
Write to us
Send an email to advocates@legals365.com, or a letter to either office, with the subject line Data request. Say what you want: a summary of the data we hold, a correction, an update, erasure, or a nomination.
Confirm who you are
We will ask you to confirm your identity, usually by replying from the email or mobile number we already have, or by showing an ID at the office. This stops someone else obtaining your data by pretending to be you, which is a real risk in family disputes.
We acknowledge and search
We acknowledge within seven days and check every place your data may sit: the enquiry inbox, the matter file, WhatsApp exports and paper files. If someone else's data is mixed in, such as a co-client's, we separate it before replying.
You get a reply
We aim to answer within 30 days. If we cannot do everything you ask, for example because we must keep a file for a pending appeal or for tax records, we tell you which part and why.
If you are not satisfied
Write back, and Advocate B.K. Singh will review the decision himself. If you are still not satisfied, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India once you have used our grievance process.
What are my rights under the DPDP Act 2023?
The Act gives every data principal the following rights against anyone holding their data, a law firm included. Some apply in full only once the relevant provisions are in force.
- Information. You can ask for a summary of the personal data we hold about you, what we do with it, and who we have shared it with.
- Correction and updating. If your address, phone number or any other detail is wrong or out of date, we will correct it. In litigation this matters more than people think, because court notices go to the address on record.
- Erasure. You can ask us to erase data we no longer need, subject to the exceptions for legal claims, court records and records the law requires us to keep.
- Withdrawing consent. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it as easily as you gave it. Processing done before the withdrawal remains lawful.
- Grievance redressal. You can complain to us, and we must respond. A grievance we do not resolve can go to the Data Protection Board of India.
- Nomination. You can nominate a person to exercise these rights if you die or become unable to act. In a long-running case, this is worth a thought alongside the vakalatnama.
The Act also places duties on individuals, such as not filing false or frivolous complaints and not impersonating anyone when making a request.
When can you refuse to delete my data?
We can refuse erasure, wholly or in part, where we still need the data to act in a pending matter, to defend or enforce legal rights (including any claim about our own professional work), to comply with a court order, or to keep records the law requires, such as accounts. The DPDP Act allows for these situations, and so does common sense: a firm that erased a client's file while an appeal was pending would harm that client.
Some data is not ours to erase at all. Documents filed in court belong to the court record. Copies held by associate counsel, the court registry or the other side are outside our control, though we will ask associate counsel to delete copies they no longer need. Where we refuse a request, we explain what we are keeping, why, and until when.
Take a typical request
Here's a made-up example. A woman in Noida sent us an enquiry in March about a divorce petition her husband had filed, then decided to engage a lawyer closer to home. In November she writes asking us to delete everything we hold about her, because her family uses a shared email account and she does not want the thread found.
We confirm her identity through the mobile number she first used, then search the inbox, the WhatsApp phone and the paper tray. We find her enquiry, two photographs of the petition and a page of call notes. We never acted for her and nothing is pending with us, so there is no reason to keep any of it. We delete the lot, keep a one-line record that a request was received and completed (without its content), and tell her within a few days. Had she been a client with a live case, we would instead have offered to hand over her file and explained what we were obliged to keep.
How do you keep data secure?
We use safeguards matched to the sensitivity of legal files. Access to email and stored files is password protected and limited to people working on the matter. Devices holding client data are locked, and paper files stay in the office rather than going home. When a phone or laptop is replaced, client data is removed from the old device before it leaves the firm.
No system is beyond attack, and we will not pretend otherwise. If a personal data breach occurs, the DPDP Act requires the data fiduciary to inform the Data Protection Board and each affected person. We will do that, telling you what happened, what data was involved and what you can do to protect yourself, such as changing passwords or alerting your bank. We will not wait to see whether the news becomes public.
You can help too. Use a phone and email that only you control for messages about your case, especially in family and employment matters, where the other side may have access to a shared device or a work account.
Children's data and sensitive family matters
The website is not meant for children, and we do not knowingly accept enquiries from anyone under 18 without a parent or guardian. Under the DPDP Act, processing a child's personal data needs the verifiable consent of a parent or lawful guardian, and tracking or targeted advertising aimed at children is not permitted. We do neither.
Children's data still reaches us in the ordinary course of family and criminal work: birth certificates and school records in custody cases, a child's medical bills in a maintenance claim, a minor's statement in a POCSO matter. We hold it as part of the parent's or guardian's matter, share it only with the court, and never put a child's identity anywhere it could become public. In POCSO and sexual offence cases the law bars disclosure of the victim's identity, and we check every document we prepare with that in mind.
Before you send us papers: a short privacy checklist
Most privacy problems in legal matters start on the client's side, not in the lawyer's office. These steps take five minutes.
- Use a phone number and email the other party cannot see, and tell us if your phone is shared.
- Mask all but the last four digits of your Aadhaar number on copies, unless we ask for the full number.
- Send clear photos or scans, not originals. Bring originals to the office only when we need to see them.
- Do not forward our advice to friends, relatives or colleagues, because spreading it widely can weaken its protection.
- Name each file with the case or matter type so it is not mixed up with someone else's papers.
- Tell us at once if you think someone else has accessed your email or WhatsApp.
- Delete sensitive documents from shared family computers after sending them to us.
- Never send OTPs, PINs or banking passwords to anyone, including your lawyer.
Is my data stored outside India?
Some of it may be. Our email, storage and website hosting providers may keep data on servers outside India, and WhatsApp is run by a foreign company. The DPDP Act allows personal data to be transferred outside India except to countries the Central Government restricts by notification, and we use established providers with their own security controls.
If you would rather a particular document never passed through an overseas server, tell us at the start. We can take it on paper or on a device at the office and file it physically, which is how many sensitive criminal and family papers are handled anyway. For clients abroad, including NRIs who instruct us over video calls, we agree a method of exchanging documents at the first meeting.
What about job and internship applications?
If you apply for a job or an internship, we receive your CV, covering letter, college details and sometimes writing samples. We use them only to assess your application and contact you. Applications that do not lead to an offer are kept for about six months, in case a suitable opening comes up, and then deleted unless you ask us to keep them longer. How to apply is explained on the careers and internship pages.
Interns and staff who work on files are bound by the same duty of confidentiality as the firm, and their access to client data ends when they leave.
Grievance contact and changes to this policy
For any question or complaint about personal data, write to the firm's grievance contact, Advocate Sadhna Singh, B.K. Singh & Associates, at either office: Office 1203, Cloud9, Tower S3, Vaishali Sector 1, near Vaishali Metro, Ghaziabad; or Sector 7, Dwarka, Ramphal Chowk Road, near ICICI Bank, Palam Extension, New Delhi 110077. Email advocates@legals365.com, phone or WhatsApp +91 96259 61599, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm. Directions are on the offices page.
We will update this policy when the law changes, when the remaining DPDP Rules come into force, or when we change how the site works, for example by adding visitor statistics. If a change materially affects how we use data you have already given us, we will tell current clients directly rather than relying on this page.
Frequently asked questions
Does bksingh.org sell my personal data?
No. We do not sell, rent or trade personal data, and we do not share it with anyone for marketing. What you send us is used to reply to you and, if you engage us, to handle your matter. It goes to others only where the matter needs it, such as a court or associate counsel, or where the law compels disclosure.
Is my enquiry to a lawyer confidential even if I do not hire them?
Yes. What you tell us while seeking legal advice is confidential from the first message, whether or not you go on to engage us. We will not use it against you or for anyone else's benefit, even if a conflict check later shows we cannot act for you.
Do you record phone calls?
No, we do not record calls. We do take written notes of what you tell us about your matter, because accurate notes protect you when dates and facts matter later. Those notes go into the enquiry or client file and are handled under this policy like any other record.
Is it safe to send legal documents on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp encrypts messages end to end, so it is reasonably safe for most papers, and most of our clients use it. Meta, which runs WhatsApp, still collects metadata under its own policy. For very sensitive papers, such as medical records or statements in a criminal case, we can take them by hand at our office instead.
What is a data fiduciary under the DPDP Act?
A data fiduciary is whoever decides why and how personal data is processed. For data you send to this website or to our advocates, B.K. Singh & Associates is the data fiduciary. You, as the person the data is about, are the data principal, and the rights under the Act belong to you.
How do I ask a law firm to delete my enquiry?
Email advocates@legals365.com with the subject Data request, from the same email or phone number you used before. If we never acted for you and nothing is pending, we delete everything and confirm it. We keep only a short note that the request was handled, without its content.
Can a lawyer refuse to delete client records?
Yes, in some cases. A firm can keep data it needs for a pending matter, to defend or enforce legal rights, to comply with a court order, or to meet record-keeping duties such as tax law. We tell you what we are keeping, why we are keeping it, and for how long.
Does advocate-client privilege continue after the case ends?
Yes. The protection under section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 does not end with the engagement. An advocate cannot disclose professional communications without the client's express consent, whether the matter is current, finished or abandoned, subject to narrow exceptions such as communications made to further an illegal purpose.
Can the police get my documents from my lawyer?
Your communications with us for legal advice are privileged, and we will not hand them over without your consent unless a recognised exception applies. Privilege does not cover pre-existing documents such as bank records, which an agency can obtain from their source. If we receive any demand, we tell you where the law permits and resist it where it is improper.
Does your website use Google Analytics?
No. The site does not currently run Google Analytics or any other analytics or advertising script. It loads fonts from Google Fonts and shows an embedded Google Map on some pages, so Google receives your IP address when those load. If we add visitor statistics, we will update this policy first.
What does bksingh.org store in my browser?
Only a small note in your browser's local storage recording that you accepted the Bar Council of India notice, so it does not reappear on every page. It contains no personal information. You can remove it at any time by clearing the site data in your browser settings.
How long do you keep an enquiry if I do not engage you?
About one year. That allows for people who come back when a hearing date or a notice arrives a few months later. After that, the enquiry email, call notes and any attached documents are deleted. You can ask us to delete them sooner, and we will.
How long does a law firm keep a client file in India?
There is no single fixed period for every file. We usually keep closed files for several years after the last step, because appeals, execution of decrees and revived cases can come up long afterwards, and fee records must be kept for the period tax law requires. Original documents are returned to you.
Who in the firm reads my enquiry?
Advocate Sadhna Singh usually reads new enquiries first and runs the conflict check. Advocate B.K. Singh sees it if the matter needs his view or if he will appear in it. A clerk sees the file only if the matter goes ahead and needs filing or inspection work at the court.
Will you share my case details with other lawyers?
Only where your matter needs it, and after telling you. Typical examples are an Advocate-on-Record for a Supreme Court filing or associate counsel for a case in another state. They receive what the case requires and are bound by the same duty of confidentiality that binds us.
What happens if a law firm has a data breach?
Under the DPDP Act, the firm must inform the Data Protection Board of India and each affected person. We would tell you what happened, what data was involved and what you can do, such as changing passwords or alerting your bank. We would not wait to see whether the breach became public.
Can I complain to the Data Protection Board about a law firm?
Yes, but you must first use the firm's own grievance process. Write to our grievance contact and give us a chance to respond. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can approach the Data Protection Board of India, which deals with complaints under the DPDP Act.
Are documents filed in court private?
Mostly not. Pleadings, affidavits and evidence filed in court become part of the record, which the other side receives and others may be able to inspect. Family court hearings are held in camera and the identity of victims in sexual offence cases is protected, but you should assume most filings are not private.
Should I send my full Aadhaar number to a lawyer?
Usually not at the enquiry stage. Mask all but the last four digits on copies you send. For a vakalatnama, affidavit or court filing we may need proper identity proof, and we will tell you exactly what is required and why. Never send OTPs, PINs or banking passwords to anyone.
Is my data stored outside India?
Some may be, because email, storage and hosting providers can keep data on servers abroad, and WhatsApp is a foreign service. The DPDP Act permits such transfers except to countries the Government restricts by notification. If you want a document kept off overseas servers, we can take it on paper at our office.