1. Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings assigned to them unless the context otherwise requires:

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, or using the Platform in any manner — whether as a Visitor or as an Advocate — you unconditionally agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy, and any other policies published on the Platform from time to time.

• Advocates who submit a Registration Form additionally confirm acceptance by checking the consent checkbox on that form.
• Visitors who submit a Contact Request confirm acceptance at the time of submission.
• If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately cease using the Platform.
• These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the Platform Owner under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Two-Part Structure: This document contains General Terms (Clauses 1–14) which apply to everyone, Part A which applies specifically to Visitors/Users, and Part B which applies specifically to Advocates. If you are an Advocate, all three parts apply to you.

3. Eligibility

3.1 Minimum Age

Use of this Platform is strictly restricted to persons who are 18 years of age or older. By using the Platform, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old. Legal matters are inherently adult in nature, and this age restriction is necessary to comply with Section 9 of the DPDP Act, 2023 and to ensure informed consent.

3.2 Legal Capacity

You must have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Persons of unsound mind or those otherwise disqualified under applicable Indian law are not permitted to use the Platform.

3.3 Advocate-Specific Eligibility

To register as an Advocate on the Platform, you must:

• Be a person enrolled as an advocate under the Advocates Act, 1961 with a valid Bar Council enrolment.
• Be in good standing with your respective State Bar Council — not under suspension or subject to disqualification proceedings.
• Provide accurate, truthful, and complete information in the Registration Form.
• Not be registered under a false identity or on behalf of another person without their written consent.

False Representation: Registering with false credentials, impersonating another advocate, or providing fabricated information constitutes a violation of these Terms and may be reported to the relevant Bar Council and law enforcement authorities.

4. Platform is Not a Law Firm

Important Notice: NearMeAdvocate.com is an online advocate directory and contact facilitation platform. It is not a law firm, legal services provider, advocate, or legal practitioner of any kind.

• The Platform does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, legal representation, or any legal services whatsoever.
• No advocate-client relationship is created between any Visitor and the Platform Owner by virtue of using the Platform or submitting a Contact Request.
• No advocate-client relationship is created between a Visitor and any listed Advocate merely by the Visitor submitting a Contact Request — such a relationship arises, if at all, only upon a separate, direct engagement between the Visitor and the Advocate outside the Platform.
• Any communication between a Visitor and an Advocate that occurs after a Contact Request is facilitated solely between those two parties. The Platform Owner is not a party to, and bears no responsibility for, any such communication or subsequent engagement.
• The Platform makes no representation that any listed Advocate is suitable for any particular legal matter, available, or capable of handling a specific case.
• Visitors should independently verify an advocate’s credentials, experience, and suitability before engaging their services.

The Platform operates as a permissible professional directory — analogous to a telephone directory of legal professionals — and not as a medium for paid legal advertising contrary to the BCI Rules.

5. Intermediary Status under the IT Act, 2000

The Platform Owner operates as an “intermediary” as defined under Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Accordingly:

• The Platform Owner is entitled to the safe harbour protections afforded under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 with respect to third-party content published on the Platform, including advocate profiles, ratings, and contact messages.
• The Platform Owner does not initiate the transmission of advocate profile content, does not select the recipients of such content, and does not modify the content except for reasonable formatting and verification review.
• The Platform Owner has established grievance mechanisms and takedown procedures as required under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• Any person who believes that content on the Platform infringes their rights or is unlawful may submit a written takedown request to grievance@nearmeadvocate.com. The Platform Owner shall act upon such requests expeditiously and in accordance with applicable law.
• The Platform Owner is not liable for the accuracy, completeness, or legality of advocate profiles or for the quality of legal services provided by any listed Advocate.

Takedown Requests: Submit to grievance@nearmeadvocate.com with subject line “Takedown Request” and include: (a) your full name and contact details; (b) a description of the allegedly unlawful content and its URL on the Platform; (c) the legal basis for the request; and (d) a declaration that the information in the request is accurate.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Platform IP

The name NearMeAdvocate, the Platform logo, the domain nearmeadvocate.com, the website design, layout, structure, source code, database architecture, and all original content created by the Platform Owner are the exclusive intellectual property of the Platform Owner. All rights are reserved.

• You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, modify, or create derivative works from any Platform IP without prior written consent from the Platform Owner.
• You may not use the Platform name, logo, or branding in any manner that suggests endorsement or affiliation without express written permission.
• Scraping, data extraction, automated crawling, or bulk downloading of advocate directory data — whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes — is strictly prohibited and may attract liability under the IT Act, 2000 and the Copyright Act, 1957.

6.2 Advocate-Uploaded Content

Advocates who upload photographs, bios, and other profile content to the Platform retain ownership of that content. However, by uploading content, the Advocate grants the Platform Owner a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, display, reproduce, and distribute such content on the Platform for the purposes of the advocate directory. This licence continues until the Advocate requests delisting in accordance with Clause B9.

6.3 Visitor-Submitted Content

Star ratings and numerical scores submitted by Visitors become part of the Platform’s database upon submission. The Platform Owner may display, moderate, remove, or aggregate such content at its sole discretion in accordance with Clause A3.

7. Prohibited Uses

The following uses of the Platform are strictly prohibited. Violation may result in immediate termination of access and/or legal action:

7.1 Prohibited for All Persons

• Submitting false, misleading, fabricated, or defamatory information through any form on the Platform.
• Impersonating any advocate, person, or organisation.
• Using automated bots, scrapers, crawlers, or scripts to access, extract, or mirror any part of the Platform’s content or database.
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to the Platform’s backend, database, admin panel, or server infrastructure.
• Uploading malicious code, viruses, trojans, or any content designed to disrupt or damage the Platform.
• Using the Platform for any purpose that violates Indian law, including the IT Act 2000, IPC / BNS, DPDP Act 2023, or applicable consumer protection laws.
• Harassing, threatening, or abusing any advocate or other user through the contact facilitation system.
• Submitting frivolous, spam, or vexatious contact requests to advocates.
• Using advocate contact details obtained through the Platform for any purpose other than genuine legal assistance.
• Commercially exploiting or reselling advocate profile data obtained from the Platform without written permission.

7.2 Additionally Prohibited for Advocates

• Registering with false credentials or a fabricated Bar Council enrolment.
• Registering on behalf of another person or legal entity without that person’s written authority.
• Listing on the Platform in a manner that constitutes paid solicitation contrary to the BCI Rules (see Clause B4).
• Contacting Visitors for purposes unrelated to their stated legal matter.
• Sharing Visitor contact details obtained through the Platform with any third party.
• Creating multiple registrations under different identities.

Consequences: Violation of any of the above may result in: (a) immediate removal of the advocate’s listing without refund; (b) reporting to the relevant State Bar Council or Bar Council of India; (c) civil or criminal proceedings under applicable Indian law; or (d) all of the above.

8. Disclaimers and As-Is Service

The Platform and all Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any representation, warranty, or guarantee of any kind, whether express or implied.

8.1 No Warranty on Advocate Quality

The Platform Owner makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee of any kind regarding:

• The professional competence, qualification, integrity, or conduct of any listed Advocate.
• The accuracy or completeness of any information provided in an advocate’s profile, including areas of practice, experience, or languages.
• Whether any listed Advocate will respond to a Contact Request, and within what timeframe.
• The outcome of any legal matter handled by a listed Advocate.
• Whether a listed Advocate is currently in good standing with the relevant Bar Council at the time of a Visitor’s contact.

8.2 No Warranty on Platform Availability

• The Platform Owner does not warrant uninterrupted, error-free, or secure access to the Platform.
• The Platform may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, upgrades, hosting issues, or circumstances beyond the Platform Owner’s control.
• Search results and advocate listings are generated algorithmically and algorithmically sorted; the Platform Owner does not warrant that all relevant advocates will appear in any given search.

8.3 Third-Party Services

The Platform uses third-party services including Google reCAPTCHA and Google Fonts. The Platform Owner makes no representation regarding the availability, security, or data practices of such third-party services. Their use is governed by their respective terms and privacy policies.

Visitor Advisory: Before engaging any advocate found on this Platform, Visitors are strongly advised to independently verify the advocate’s Bar Council enrolment number, current standing, and suitability for their specific legal matter.

9. Force Majeure

The Platform Owner shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of obligations under these Terms where such failure or delay results from any cause beyond the Platform Owner’s reasonable control, including but not limited to:

• Acts of God, natural disasters, floods, earthquakes, fires, or pandemics.
• Acts of government, regulatory actions, court orders, or changes in law.
• War, armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism, or sabotage.
• Internet or telecommunications infrastructure failures, power outages, or cyberattacks.
• Hosting provider outages, server failures, or denial-of-service attacks.
• Failure or unavailability of third-party services including payment processors, email providers, or API services.

In such events, the Platform Owner shall, where reasonably practicable, notify affected Advocates (via registered email) of the nature and expected duration of the disruption and shall take commercially reasonable steps to restore the Platform. Subscription periods affected by Platform downtime exceeding 7 consecutive days due to a force majeure event may, at the Platform Owner’s discretion, be extended by an equivalent period.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law:

• The Platform Owner shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Platform, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
• The Platform Owner shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from: (a) reliance on information in an advocate’s profile; (b) the quality or outcome of legal services provided by any listed Advocate; (c) the failure of an Advocate to respond to a Contact Request; (d) unauthorised access to your data resulting from circumstances beyond the Platform Owner’s reasonable control.
• The total aggregate liability of the Platform Owner to any Advocate for any claim arising under or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total subscription fees actually paid by that Advocate to the Platform Owner in the six (6) months immediately preceding the date on which the claim arose.
• The Platform Owner has no liability whatsoever to Visitors beyond restoring access to the Platform, as Visitors use the Platform at no charge.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable Indian law.

11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Republic of India.

• Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms, or the use of the Platform, shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
• Before initiating formal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation and the Grievance Redressal mechanism described in Clause 14.
• Nothing in this clause limits a Data Principal’s right to approach the Data Protection Board of India under the DPDP Act, 2023, or any Consumer Forum under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

12. Amendments to These Terms

The Platform Owner reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Amendments take effect as follows:

• The revised Terms will be posted on this page with an updated “Effective Date.”
• For material changes affecting Advocates (including changes to subscription pricing, refund policies, or termination rights), a notice will be sent to the registered email address at least 14 days before the changes take effect.
• For Visitors, continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
• For Advocates, continued use of the Platform or non-exercise of the right to request delisting after the 14-day notice period constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

13. Severability and Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severed and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

These Terms, together with the Platform’s Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between the Platform Owner and you with respect to your use of the Platform, and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings relating to the same subject matter.

No waiver by the Platform Owner of any breach of these Terms shall be considered a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision.

14. Grievance Redressal and Contact

For complaints, disputes, or requests relating to these Terms or the operation of the Platform:

Please include your full name, registered email address (for Advocates), Form Number (if applicable), a description of your complaint, and the resolution you seek. Vexatious or frivolous complaints will not be entertained.

A1. Use of the Platform Users

As a Visitor, you may access and use the Platform’s advocate directory, search, and filter features free of charge. No registration or account is required to browse listed advocates or submit a Contact Request.

• The Platform is provided as an informational directory only. Use of the Platform does not, by itself, create any professional, contractual, or legal relationship with the Platform Owner or any listed Advocate.
• You are responsible for evaluating the suitability of any Advocate for your specific legal matter before engaging their services.
• The Platform Owner does not recommend, endorse, or guarantee any Advocate listed on the Platform.
• Search results and advocate listings are displayed based on filters selected by the Visitor (State, District, City/Tehsil, Area of Practice). Subscription status may affect display prominence as described in Clause B5, but this does not constitute an endorsement of any Advocate.

A2. Contact Requests to Advocates Users

Visitors may submit a Contact Request to a listed Advocate by completing the contact form on the Advocate’s profile card. By submitting a Contact Request, you:

• Represent that your name, email address, and description of your legal matter are accurate and truthful.
• Consent to your name, email address, and matter description being transmitted to the Advocate you have selected, for the sole purpose of enabling that Advocate to contact you.
• Acknowledge that the Platform Owner transmits your Contact Request in good faith and is not responsible for whether or when the Advocate responds.
• Agree not to submit Contact Requests for any purpose other than genuine legal enquiries — including for competitive intelligence, solicitation, spam, or testing purposes.

A2.1 Standard Verified Advocates

For Advocates listed under standard verification, the Platform will submit your Contact Request to the Advocate. The Advocate’s contact details (mobile number and email) will not be disclosed to you. The Advocate will contact you directly using the details you provide.

A2.2 Advocates Verified with Subscription

For Advocates who hold a Premium (Subscribed) listing, upon successful submission of your Contact Request, the Advocate’s mobile number and email address will be displayed to you within the Platform interface, allowing you to contact the Advocate directly if you choose.

No Guarantee of Response: Submission of a Contact Request does not guarantee that the Advocate will contact you, accept your matter, or be available. If you do not receive a response, we recommend contacting another listed Advocate or seeking legal assistance through other channels.

A3. Ratings and Reviews Users

A3.1 Eligibility to Rate

You may submit a star rating (1 to 5 stars) for a listed Advocate only after you have submitted a Contact Request to that Advocate in the same browser session. Ratings are limited to one submission per Advocate per browser session, enforced through browser localStorage.

A3.2 Your Obligations

By submitting a rating, you represent that:

• The rating reflects a genuine experience or impression based on your actual Contact Request or subsequent interaction with the Advocate.
• The rating is not submitted maliciously, fraudulently, or on behalf of a competitor.
• You are not the Advocate being rated, nor acting on their behalf to inflate their rating.

A3.3 Platform Moderation Rights

The Platform Owner reserves the right — at its sole discretion and without prior notice — to:

• Remove any rating that appears to be fraudulent, manipulated, abusive, or submitted in bad faith.
• Remove any rating that is accompanied by a written complaint from the rated Advocate alleging specific grounds of manipulation.
• Suspend rating functionality for any Advocate during a period of investigation.
• Recalibrate or reset ratings if systematic manipulation is detected.

Ratings are displayed as a running average and do not constitute an endorsement by the Platform Owner. The Platform Owner is not liable for any impact on an Advocate’s business or reputation arising from ratings submitted by Visitors.

A4. User Responsibilities Users

As a Visitor, you are solely responsible for:

• All information you submit through the Platform, including Contact Requests and ratings.
• Independently verifying the credentials, standing, and suitability of any Advocate before engaging their services.
• Complying with all applicable Indian laws in connection with your use of the Platform.
• Ensuring that your use of the Platform does not infringe the rights of any Advocate or third party.
• Any direct engagement, agreement, fee arrangement, or dispute arising between you and an Advocate — the Platform Owner has no involvement in or liability for such matters.

B1. Registration and Eligibility Advocates

Registration on the Platform is open to practising advocates enrolled under the Advocates Act, 1961 who meet the eligibility criteria in Clause 3.3. Registration is free of charge. A Premium Subscription is available as a separately paid option (see Clause B5).

B1.1 Registration Process

1. Complete and submit the Advocate Registration Form on the Platform.
2. The Platform will assign a unique Form Number (SK-XXXXXXX) upon submission. Please save this number — it is required for all future correspondence with the Platform regarding your listing.
3. Your submission will be reviewed by the Platform administrator. You may be contacted for clarification or additional information.
4. Upon successful verification, your profile will be listed publicly on the Platform’s “Find Advocates” page.

B1.2 Accuracy of Information

You are solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and currency of all information submitted in your Registration Form. You agree to:

• Provide your correct year of enrolment — this is used to auto-calculate and publicly display your years of experience.
• Upload only a genuine, recent photograph of yourself. Photographs of other persons, logos, or non-photographic images are not permitted.
• Notify the Platform Owner of any material change to your registration details (such as change in place of practice or areas of practice) by writing to nearmeadvocate@gmail.com with your Form Number.

Experience Auto-Calculation: Your “Years of Experience” is automatically calculated daily as: Current Year minus Year of Enrolment. The Platform Owner is not responsible for any inaccuracy if an incorrect year of enrolment was submitted.

B2. Advocate Data on the Platform Advocates

By submitting a Registration Form and checking the consent checkbox, you grant the Platform Owner the rights described below, which are necessary to operate the advocate directory.

B2.1 Data You Consent to Have Publicly Displayed

Upon verification, the following data will be displayed publicly on the Platform:

B2.2 Data Kept Private (Not Publicly Displayed)

• Email address — shared with Visitors only for Subscribed advocates, and only upon a Contact Request submission.
• Mobile number — shared with Visitors only for Subscribed advocates, and only upon a Contact Request submission.
• Full address (only City and State are public).
• Form Number (SK-XXXXXXX) — internal reference only.

B2.3 Licence Grant

By registering, you grant the Platform Owner a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, and reproduce your profile content on the Platform for the duration of your listing. This licence terminates upon successful delisting in accordance with Clause B9. The Platform Owner will not sell your profile content to third parties or use your photograph for purposes other than the Platform.

B2.4 Consent to Display — Ongoing Obligation

You acknowledge that the public display of your information on the Platform is the core purpose for which you have registered, and that you have given informed, specific, and freely given consent to such display at the time of registration. If you wish to withdraw this consent, you must request delisting as described in Clause B9.

B3. Verification — No Guarantee Advocates

Important: Submission of the Registration Form does not guarantee listing on the Platform. Verification and listing are entirely at the discretion of the Platform administrator.

The Platform Owner reserves the sole and absolute right to:

• Approve or reject any registration application for any reason, including but not limited to: incomplete information, unverifiable credentials, inappropriate photograph, suspected false identity, previous violations of these Terms, or any other reason the administrator considers sufficient.
• Request additional documents or information before verifying a registration.
• Place a registration in a pending queue for any duration during the review process.
• Approve a registration for standard listing or for a Premium (Subscribed) listing as applicable.

If your application is rejected, you will be notified via the email address you provided. You may reapply after correcting any deficiencies identified in the rejection notice. The Platform Owner is not obligated to provide a reason for rejection.

Payment and Rejection: If you have paid for a Premium Subscription offline and your registration is subsequently rejected before your listing goes live, you are entitled to a full refund of the subscription fee. See Clause B7 for the full refund policy.

B4. Bar Council of India Compliance Advocates

The Platform operates as a permissible professional directory. By registering, you represent, warrant, and agree as follows:

• You have independently assessed whether listing on the Platform is consistent with your obligations under the BCI Rules, including Rule 36 of the Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette, which restricts advocates from advertising or soliciting work.
• You acknowledge that the Platform provides a directory listing — analogous to a telephone directory or Bar Council register — and does not constitute paid advertising, touting, or solicitation in violation of BCI Rules.
• You shall not, through the Platform, engage in any conduct that constitutes solicitation of professional employment contrary to the BCI Rules, including but not limited to: contacting Visitors for matters unrelated to their stated legal query, making promises of results, comparing yourself favourably to other advocates, or making false or misleading statements.
• The Platform Owner does not bear responsibility for any disciplinary action taken against you by any Bar Council arising from your listing or conduct on the Platform.
• If you receive a notice or direction from any Bar Council or regulatory authority relating to your listing on the Platform, you agree to notify the Platform Owner at nearmeadvocate@gmail.com within 7 days of receipt of such notice.

Your Responsibility: BCI Rules and their interpretation may change. It is your ongoing responsibility as a registered advocate to ensure your listing remains compliant with applicable professional conduct rules.

B5. Subscription Plans Advocates

A Premium Subscription is an optional paid upgrade available to Verified Advocates. Subscription does not affect the verification process — you must first be verified before a subscription can be activated.

B5.1 What the Premium Subscription Includes

B5.2 What the Subscription Does Not Include

• The Platform does not guarantee any minimum number of Contact Requests, leads, or Visitor enquiries.
• Priority placement means your card appears above standard listings in the search results — it does not guarantee top position if multiple subscribed advocates match the same search criteria.
• The Platform does not guarantee that Visitors will contact you or engage your services.

B5.3 Subscription Plans and Pricing

Current subscription fees are communicated directly by the Platform Owner. Pricing is subject to change with 14 days’ notice to existing subscribers.

B5.4 Subscription Renewal

Subscriptions do not auto-renew. At least 7 days before expiry of your current subscription period, you will be notified via your registered email. If you wish to renew, you must make a fresh offline payment and confirm it to the Platform Owner as described in Clause B6. If renewal payment is not received before expiry, your listing will revert to standard verified status (your profile will remain live but Premium features will be removed).

B6. Subscription Activation — Offline Payment Advocates

Critical: Premium Subscription features are activated only after the Platform Owner has confirmed receipt of your payment. Making a bank transfer or UPI payment does not automatically activate your subscription.

B6.1 Payment Process

1. Contact the Platform Owner at nearmeadvocate@gmail.com with your Form Number (SK-XXXXXXX) and your preferred subscription plan (Monthly / Annual) to request payment details.
2. Make payment via Bank Transfer or UPI to the details provided by the Platform Owner.
3. Share your payment confirmation (UTR number / transaction screenshot) with the Platform Owner at nearmeadvocate@gmail.com, referencing your Form Number.
4. The Platform Owner will verify receipt of payment and confirm activation of your subscription by email, typically within 2 business days of receiving your payment confirmation.
5. Your subscription period commences from the date of confirmation by the Platform Owner, not the date of payment.

B6.2 Payment Disputes

• If you have made a payment but have not received confirmation within 3 business days, email nearmeadvocate@gmail.com with your UTR number and Form Number.
• Payments that cannot be verified in the Platform Owner’s bank records will not result in subscription activation. Please ensure you send the correct payment amount to the correct account details provided.
• The Platform Owner is not responsible for payments made to incorrect account details where the correct details were not provided by the Platform Owner.

B7. Refund Policy Advocates

All refund requests must be submitted in writing to nearmeadvocate@gmail.com with your Form Number and the UTR/transaction reference of the payment.

Approved refunds will be processed to the original payment source (bank account / UPI ID) within 7–14 business days of approval. The Platform Owner does not charge a processing fee for approved refunds, but cannot refund third-party bank or UPI transaction charges.

Note on Pricing Changes: If the Platform Owner increases subscription pricing, existing subscribers will not be charged the higher rate until their current subscription period expires and they choose to renew.

B8. Advocate Responsibilities Advocates

As a registered Advocate on the Platform, you are bound by the following ongoing obligations throughout the duration of your listing:

B8.1 Professional Conduct

• You shall at all times conduct yourself in accordance with the Advocates Act, 1961, the BCI Rules, and the professional conduct standards of your State Bar Council.
• You shall not, through or in connection with the Platform, engage in any solicitation of business that violates Rule 36 of the BCI Rules or any other applicable professional conduct rule.
• You shall not misrepresent your qualifications, areas of practice, or experience to Visitors.
• You shall not make any false or misleading statements in your profile.

B8.2 Handling Contact Requests

• Contact Requests submitted by Visitors through the Platform are genuine legal inquiries. You agree to treat them with professional courtesy.
• You shall use Visitor contact details obtained through the Platform only for the purpose of responding to the specific legal matter stated in their Contact Request.
• You shall not share Visitor contact details with any third party, add Visitors to marketing lists, or contact them for unrelated purposes.

B8.3 Profile Maintenance

• You are responsible for keeping your profile information accurate and up to date.
• You must notify the Platform Owner if you are suspended, disbarred, or subject to disciplinary proceedings by any Bar Council, so that your listing can be reviewed and, if necessary, removed.
• You must notify the Platform Owner if your enrolment lapses for any reason.

Failure to comply with any obligation in this Clause B8 may result in immediate suspension or permanent delisting of your profile at the Platform Owner’s discretion, without refund of any subscription fees.

B9. Suspension, Delisting, and Termination Advocates

B9.1 Voluntary Delisting by Advocate

You may request removal of your listing from the Platform at any time by writing to privacy@nearmeadvocate.com with the subject line “Delisting Request — [Your SK- Form Number]” from your registered email address. The Platform Owner will delist your profile within 7 working days of verifying your identity. Contact records associated with your profile will be retained as per the Privacy Policy’s data retention schedule.

B9.2 Suspension or Delisting by Platform Owner

The Platform Owner may suspend or permanently delist your profile at any time, without prior notice, in any of the following circumstances:

• Breach of any provision of these Terms, including violations of Clauses B4, B8, or the prohibited uses in Clause 7.
• Receipt of a credible complaint from a Visitor, Bar Council, law enforcement, or court regarding your conduct.
• Discovery that registration information was false, fabricated, or misleading.
• You are suspended, disbarred, or subject to disciplinary action by any Bar Council.
• Your enrolment under the Advocates Act, 1961 lapses or is cancelled.
• You engage in conduct that, in the Platform Owner’s reasonable opinion, is harmful to the Platform’s reputation or to Visitors.
• Non-payment of verified subscription fees after activation.

B9.3 No Right of Appeal

The Platform Owner’s decision to suspend or permanently delist a profile is final and at the Platform Owner’s sole discretion. There is no formal right of appeal. However, if you believe a delisting was made in error, you may write to grievance@nearmeadvocate.com providing your Form Number and reasons — the Platform Owner will consider such correspondence in good faith but is not obligated to reinstate any listing.

B9.4 Effect of Termination

• Upon delisting, your profile will be removed from the public “Find Advocates” page immediately or within the timeframe stated above.
• Your data will be retained in the Platform’s admin records as per the Privacy Policy’s retention schedule (Section 10 of the Privacy Policy).
• The Platform Owner’s rights and your obligations that by their nature should survive termination (including Clauses 7, 10, and 11) shall continue to apply.