The process is as simple as sending an e-mail. One simply needs to mail a query to an advocate who in turn gives his expert opinion within a stipulated period along with the fees.

The trend of seeking legal advice on the Internet is on the upswing largely because of the simplicity of the whole process, the increasing familiarity with computers and demand for legal advice from top advocates. Gone are the days when a client had to travel all the way to Delhi to seek a legal advice from a Supreme Court lawyer. Litigants, especially companies, are increasingly getting aware of the concept and making maximum of it.

Experts opine that though companies have readily picked up by the concept, private parties including litigants might take some time to adapt to the electronic change. “It might take time but eventually this concept of seeking legal advice on the Internet will be adopted by the litigants as well,” says Advocate Chanchal Singla of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

User groups: At present, it is the multi-national companies and the corporate sector which is making the maximum use of this facility. “Corporates are making the maximum use of taking legal advice on the Internet. For, if a company has to file a suit against another company or a client, high stakes are involved and it cannot afford to take a chance with the case. So, the company posts its query to the law gurus, seek their advice and then after filtering their advices, move on with the case and engage a lawyer accordingly,” says Guneet Chaudhary, managing partner of Jurisconsultus, a Chandigarh based International law firm.

However, private parties, basically entrepreneurs, are making the best use of the facility. “It is very simple for an entrepreneur to use the system. Even if you have to attach a series of documents or send a bulky one, simply scan the entire petition, convert it into a file and send it. The entrepreneurs are also using the same facility since it saves time and the pain to run after advocates seeking an appointment. Moreover, one can easily pay through a credit card for an opinion sought,” says Advocate Narender Singh Yadav.

Boon for advocates: A client not only approaches an advocate with a query, but also complements it with confusion and anxiety. “Giving an advice to a client is much simpler than to handle his anxiety and fear. Sending legal advice through the web is of great help for us. We don’t need to entertain unnecessary questions from a client again and again. Moreover, it is not time bound. An advocate can easily handle his practice during the day in the court and return to the office to give legal advice on the Net,” says Advocate Vivek K Thakur.

NOT FOR US: LITIGANTS

Though the concept is advantageous, a set of litigants feels that it has its own set of disadvantages as well. “For a litigant who is not educated and not familiar with computer, seeking legal advice will not be beneficial. He will not be able to put across his query to the advocate by means of a graphical interface. For people like us who are under educated or not educated at all, only one-to-one interaction is of use. Moreover, in a region, where a majority of cases come from villages where uneducated people are parties to the case, it is very difficult to communicate in English,” opines Rajbir Singh, a litigant and resident of Patiala.