Find a Lawyer · Partnership and LLP Disputes
Questions to Ask a Lawyer Before Hiring for Partnership And LLP Disputes
A first meeting with a lawyer is your chance to find out whether this is the right advocate for your partnership dispute or LLP dispute, before you pay a rupee in fees. The questions you ask reveal real experience, an honest strategy, and a fee you can plan for. This guide gives you the exact questions to ask, grouped so you can run through them in one sitting and decide with confidence.
- Experience: how many partnership or LLP disputes, and any partner exit or dissolution like yours?
- Strategy: where do I stand on my deed, and is my firm registered for the purpose of suing?
- Fees: lump sum or per hearing, what is included, and will you put it in writing?
- Timeline: how long at each stage, and is settlement or arbitration faster?
- Verify: enrolment number and State Bar Council under the Advocates Act, 1961.
- Free option: check NALSA, your District Legal Services Authority, or a Lok Adalat first.
01Questions about experience
Start here, because a partnership dispute and an LLP dispute need an advocate who has actually done this work.
- How many partnership dispute or LLP dispute matters have you handled?
- Have you dealt with a partner exit, a dissolution of the firm, or an accounts fight like mine?
- Do you work more with the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 for firms, or the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 for LLPs?
- Have you handled matters before the National Company Law Tribunal, if my LLP may need winding up?
- Have you run arbitrations where a partnership deed or LLP agreement had an arbitration clause?
A clear, specific answer about similar matters tells you more than any list of credentials. Vague answers are a warning.
02Questions about your case and strategy
These show whether the advocate has actually thought about your facts.
- Having read my partnership deed or LLP agreement, where do I stand, including my weak points?
- Is my firm registered, and does that affect my right to sue?
- What are my options: negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or court, and which do you recommend and why?
- What is the realistic best and worst outcome?
- What should I do, and not do, right now with my partner, the bank accounts, and the firm records?
An honest advocate will flag the registration point under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 early, because an unregistered firm faces limits on certain suits.
03Questions about fees
There is no single government-fixed lawyer fee in India, so ask plainly. Treat any figures as typical ranges that vary by city, seniority, and complexity.
- What is your fee for this matter, and is it a lump sum, per hearing, or per stage?
- What exactly is included, and what is extra?
- What are the court or tribunal fees, which are separate from your fee?
- What happens to the fee if we settle early, or if the matter drags on?
- Will you put the fee terms in writing?
| Stage | Typical fee range (varies by city, seniority, and complexity) |
|---|---|
| First consultation | Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, sometimes free |
| Drafting a notice, settlement, or dissolution deed | Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 |
| Full suit or arbitration to a result | Rs 50,000 to several lakh |
04Questions about timeline
Timelines help you plan and spot unrealistic promises.
- Roughly how long might my matter take at each stage?
- Is arbitration or a settlement likely to be faster than court for my dispute?
- How often will you update me, and who will actually handle the file?
For realistic stage-by-stage timelines, see how long a partnership or LLP dispute case takes in India. For the papers to bring so this first meeting is productive, see documents you need before meeting a partnership or LLP dispute lawyer.
05Questions that verify the advocate
Being listed on a website, being verified by a platform, and being legally entitled to practise are three different things. Ask directly:
- What is your enrolment number and State Bar Council? Enrolment under the Advocates Act, 1961 (section 22) is what makes someone entitled to practise.
- Will you be appearing, or a junior or another counsel?
- Can you share references or examples of similar partnership or LLP matters you have handled?
A genuine advocate will not mind you checking the enrolment against Bar Council records.
06Free and low-cost options first
Before paying a private advocate, check whether you qualify for free legal aid. Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (sections 12 and 13), NALSA and the State and District Legal Services Authorities provide a free lawyer to eligible people, subject to an income limit. Many business owners will not qualify, but it is worth checking.
A partnership dispute is also often well suited to mediation or a Lok Adalat, which is a settlement forum. Ask any advocate you meet whether a settlement route could resolve your matter faster and cheaper than a full case.
07How Claw helps you find the right lawyer
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Claw Find a Lawyer uses that same legaltech depth to help you reach the right advocate for a partnership or LLP dispute. You describe your matter in a short guided chat, for example a partner exit or a dispute over profit sharing. Claw then connects you with a verified, independent advocate who handles commercial and partnership matters, in your state or city where possible, for an online or in-person consultation, so you can put these questions to someone who actually does this work.
Claw does not employ or empanel lawyers and is not a law firm. The advocate Claw connects you with practises on their own, and their professional fee is paid directly to them, not shared with Claw, in line with Bar Council of India rules (Rule 36). You can send a free basic request, or choose Rs 99 priority for faster, prioritised matching. Claw is a technology platform that helps you find and reach a lawyer; it is not your advocate and does not give legal advice. You can start at Claw Find a Lawyer.
08Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important question to ask?
Ask how many partnership dispute or LLP dispute matters the advocate has actually handled, and whether any involved a partner exit, dissolution of the firm, or an accounts fight like yours. A clear, specific answer about similar matters tells you more than a list of credentials.
Should I ask about my firm being registered?
Yes. Ask directly whether your firm is registered and what that means for suing. Under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932, an unregistered firm faces limits on filing certain suits to enforce contractual rights, so an honest advocate will raise this at the first meeting.
How do I ask about fees without it being awkward?
Ask plainly, because there is no government-fixed fee. Ask whether the fee is a lump sum, per hearing, or per stage, what is included, what the separate court or tribunal fees are, and whether the terms will be in writing. A professional advocate expects these questions.
Is it rude to ask for the enrolment number?
No. A genuine advocate will not mind. Enrolment with a State Bar Council under the Advocates Act, 1961 is what makes someone entitled to practise, and being listed on a directory is not the same thing. Verify the number against Bar Council records.
Should I ask whether my dispute can be settled?
Yes. Many partnership and LLP disputes suit mediation, arbitration, or a Lok Adalat settlement, which can be faster and cheaper than a full court case and can preserve the business. Ask the advocate to compare these routes with litigation for your specific facts.
What should I bring so the meeting is useful?
Bring your partnership deed or LLP agreement, firm registration papers, recent accounts and bank statements, and any notices or messages between the partners. With these in hand, the advocate can give real answers instead of general ones.