Standing Lawyers maintains an institutional commitment to resolving client concerns, service deficiencies, and statutory data grievances with promptness and fairness. This Grievance Redressal Policy delineates the formal complaint workflow, timelines, designated Grievance Officer, and external statutory escalation avenues under Indian law.
Nothing in this policy limits or derogates from any legal right, statutory remedy, or disciplinary complaint procedure available to any party under Indian law.
1. Standing to file a grievance
1.1 A formal grievance may be filed by any client, former client, prospective client, job or internship applicant, Data Principal whose personal data is processed by the firm, or any individual affected by an act or omission of Standing Lawyers.
1.2 Grievances may encompass quality or timeliness of legal work product, professional communication, billing and disbursements, data protection and privacy practices, website accessibility, or professional ethics.
2. Formal grievance submission procedure
2.1 Formal grievances must be submitted in writing via email to work@standinglawyers.com with the subject line Formal Grievance Submission.
2.2 The communication should articulate the factual matrix, dates, matter reference, individuals involved, and the specific remedial outcome sought. No specific legal jargon is required.
2.3 No fee is levied for filing a grievance, and lodging a complaint will never prejudice the ongoing management of a client's legal matter.
3. Designated statutory Grievance Officer
3.1 In compliance with Rule 5(9) of the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, the designated Grievance Officer for Standing Lawyers is Mohit Sharma, Advocate, proprietor of the firm, reachable at work@standinglawyers.com.
3.2 In a specialized sole proprietorship chamber, the Grievance Officer investigates complaints directly with independent scrutiny, providing objective findings and full transparency regarding escalation options.
4. Structured investigation timelines
| Investigation Phase | Prescribed Resolution Timeline |
|---|---|
| Formal written acknowledgement | Within three working days of receipt |
| Request for supplementary documentation | Within three working days of receipt |
| Substantive investigative determination and remedial proposal | Within fifteen working days of receipt |
| Notification of extension for complex investigations | Prior to expiry of fifteen working days |
| Statutory personal data grievance redressal | Within thirty days of receipt under SPDI Rule 5(9) |
4.1 Where an inquiry reveals an operational error or billing inaccuracy, the firm will acknowledge the fault candidly, implement corrective measures, and issue appropriate fee credits or refunds under our Fee Policy.
4.2 Where the firm determines that a grievance is not established, a comprehensive written explanation setting forth the evidentiary basis shall be provided.
5. Statutory escalation and external legal avenues
5.1 Where our determination does not resolve your concern, you may escalate through the appropriate external statutory channels:
5.2 Disciplinary proceedings under the Advocates Act, 1961. Where a complaint alleges professional misconduct by an advocate, a formal complaint may be submitted to the Bar Council of Rajasthan under Section 35 of the Advocates Act, 1961. The State Bar Council possesses disciplinary jurisdiction to investigate misconduct through its Disciplinary Committee. The firm will furnish its enrolment particulars upon request.
5.3 Data Protection Board of India. Grievances concerning personal data processing may be escalated to the Data Protection Board of India under Section 13 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 following its commencement, subject to exhausting the firm's internal grievance redressal mechanism as required by Section 13(3).
5.4 Civil court jurisdiction. Nothing in this policy abridges your right to seek legal remedies before the competent civil courts, including claims for breach of contract or civil negligence.
5.5 Distinction regarding third-party complaints. Complaints regarding opposing debtors, commercial banks, insolvency practitioners, or judicial tribunals do not fall within this policy and must be addressed through appropriate judicial or statutory channels.
5.6 Supreme Court doctrine on Consumer Protection Act exclusion. In the landmark judgment delivered on 14 May 2024 in Bar of Indian Lawyers v. D.K. Gandhi, the Supreme Court of India authoritatively held that advocates admitted to practice law are not covered by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and complaints alleging deficiency of service against advocates are not maintainable before Consumer Fora. A review petition was dismissed by the Court in February 2025. The Supreme Court established that the legal profession is sui generis, founded upon an advocate's paramount duty to the court and the administration of justice, and an engagement with an advocate constitutes a contract of personal service rather than a consumer service. The Court affirmed that clients possess robust legal remedies through civil suits in competent courts and disciplinary proceedings under the Advocates Act, 1961 before State Bar Councils. We articulate this precedent so that parties do not waste time in improper forums.
6. Grievance record keeping and non-retaliation
6.1 All grievances, investigation records, and resolutions are recorded in a permanent compliance register reviewed annually.
6.2 Records are preserved under our Data Protection Policy and disclosed solely to authorized regulatory authorities.
6.3 Standing Lawyers prohibits retaliation against any person for submitting a grievance in good faith.
Effect, review and contact
A This Grievance Redressal Policy takes effect on 11 October 2026 and supersedes every earlier version published on this website. The version published on this page constitutes the operative regulatory instrument at any given point in time.
B Standing Lawyers reviews this Grievance Redressal Policy at least annually, and forthwith upon any amendment to applicable statutes, subordinate rules, regulatory notifications, or firm operational systems. Where an amendment is material, formal notice shall be published on this page, and where the amendment concerns personal data in respect of which contact particulars are maintained, direct notification shall be transmitted.
C All formal communications, statutory notices, and grievances arising out of or in connection with this Grievance Redressal Policy must be addressed to work@standinglawyers.com, marked for the attention of the Grievance Officer where the communication constitutes a formal complaint.
