General Information

The Indian judicial system is an independent branch of government and is based on the 1950 Constitution. It follows the British-influenced common law system. It consists of three levels: the highest court, the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi; the High Courts at the state level; and the lower courts in the respective districts.
In India, there are no restrictions regarding the jurisdiction of attorneys in terms of location, subject or court level. An attorney registered with a state bar council can therefore generally appear before any court in the country.

For proceedings before the High Court or Supreme Court, it may be advisable to engage so-called “senior lawyers.” These are lawyers who have been recognized by the courts for their professional quality and experience and therefore enjoy a higher standing with the judges. However, their fees are also many times higher than those of a “junior lawyer.”
There is no obligation to be represented by an attorney in court.

Persons who are detained or in police custody are entitled to receive a court-appointed attorney by the host country. In addition, the “Legal Authorities Service Act, 1987” governs which groups of people (including women, children, and low-income earners) may be granted legal aid in the form of a waiver of court costs.

In India, there is no written fee schedule comparable to Germany’s Lawyers’ Fees Act. Fees are agreed upon in advance between the client and the attorney. It is also possible to obtain free legal advice from so-called Legal Aid Cells in all judicial districts. Membership in local chambers of commerce or industry associations sometimes also offers free legal advice. However, this offer is very limited. In addition, there are a few charitable institutions that provide general legal advice free of charge.

Below, we have compiled lists of lawyers, some of whom speak German, for your reference.

All provided information is non-binding and subject to change. When retaining a lawyer, the client is responsible for all costs and fees.

Lawyers are listed in alphabetical order. Information regarding the lawyers’ areas of practice and languages of correspondence is provided by the lawyers themselves and cannot be guaranteed by the missions.

All information is based on data available to the missions at the time of writing.

Lists of lawyers some of whom speak German

List of lawyers in New Delhi
List of lawyers in Bangalore
List of lawyers in Chennai
List of lawyers in Kolkata
List of lawyers in Mumbai

Information on the Bhutanese judicial system and a list of lawyers in Bhutan can be found here.