Terms of Service

1. Nature of the Platform

Briefly is a technology platform that enables clients, advocates, law firms, and law students to manage legal matters, discover counsel, communicate, exchange documents, schedule consultations, and process related payments.

• We are not a law firm, advocates' association, or legal services provider under the Advocates Act, 1961.
• We do not provide legal advice, opinions, representation, or advocacy through the Platform.
• Any advocate–client relationship, if formed, exists solely between the client and the advocate / law firm they engage. The Platform is an intermediary facilitating tools and, where applicable, discovery.
• Public court information displayed on the Platform (including CNR-linked data) is for informational purposes only and is not an official court record.

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be legally competent to contract under Indian law. By registering, you represent that the information you provide is true, complete, and current.

• Clients may create matters, request counsel, upload documents, and pay invoices subject to these Terms.
• Advocates must hold a valid enrolment / Bar Council identity and may be subject to Platform verification before marketplace, billing, or payout features are enabled.
• Firms operate under firm tenancy rules; firm administrators are responsible for member access and compliance within their workspace.
• Students may use educational and mentorship features; student use does not create a right to practise law.
• You are responsible for safeguarding login credentials and all activity under your account.

3. Marketplace and engagement

Where the Platform shows advocate profiles, fees, ratings, or open matters, such information is supplied by Users or derived from Platform activity. We do not guarantee outcomes of any legal matter, suitability of any advocate, or acceptance of any request.

Clients and advocates remain solely responsible for the scope of engagement, fees, professional conduct, conflict checks, confidentiality obligations under applicable professional rules, and compliance with court and Bar Council requirements.

4. Matters, documents, messaging, and e-signatures

• Matter workspaces, chats, uploads, and signature requests are tools for collaboration. Access is governed by assignment, consent, and permission settings within each matter.
• You must not upload unlawful, infringing, defamatory, or privileged material you are not authorised to share.
• Electronic signatures initiated on the Platform are User-controlled attestations. Whether an e-signature meets the requirements of the Information Technology Act, 2000 or other applicable law for a particular document is your responsibility (and your counsel's), not the Platform's warranty.
• We may retain logs and audit trails reasonably necessary for security, dispute support, and compliance.

5. Consultations, fees, and payments

Consultation bookings, invoices, and fee displays are commercial arrangements between the paying User and the advocate / firm. Payment processing may be performed by third-party payment service providers. Settlement timelines, chargebacks, refunds, and tax invoices are subject to the parties' agreement, provider rules, and applicable law (including GST where relevant).

The Platform may charge technology, convenience, or subscription fees as disclosed at the point of purchase or in a separate commercial agreement. Unless expressly stated, fees paid for legal services are not held by us as client trust money under advocate professional rules.

6. Acceptable use and prohibited conduct

You agree not to:

• use the Platform for unauthorised practice of law or misrepresentation of professional status;
• harass Users, scrape data, reverse engineer systems, or circumvent access controls;
• introduce malware or attempt to disrupt Platform integrity;
• use court or third-party data in a manner that violates source terms or applicable law;
• solicit or process payments outside disclosed channels in a way that defrauds Users or the Platform.

We may suspend or terminate accounts, remove content, or restrict features for breach, risk, or legal compulsion, with or without prior notice where reasonably necessary.

7. Intellectual property

The Platform software, branding, and design are owned by us or our licensors. You retain ownership of content you upload. You grant us a limited licence to host, process, display, and transmit that content solely to operate the Services for you and authorised participants.

8. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY, AND ACCURACY OF COURT OR THIRD-PARTY DATA. LEGAL OUTCOMES ARE NEVER GUARANTEED.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Briefly and its directors, employees, and suppliers shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising from use of the Platform or from any engagement between Users.

Our aggregate liability for claims relating to the Platform in any twelve-month period shall not exceed the greater of (a) the technology fees you paid us for that period, or (b) INR 10,000, except where liability cannot be limited under Indian law (including for proven fraud or wilful misconduct).

10. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Briefly from claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your content, your misuse of the Platform, your professional or commercial conduct toward other Users, or your violation of these Terms or applicable law.

11. Privacy

Personal data is processed as described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms by reference.

12. Changes, suspension, and termination

We may update these Terms by posting a revised version with an updated effective date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance, except where mandatory law requires additional notice or consent. You may stop using the Platform and request account closure. A 48-hour recovery grace period applies, during which you can cancel your request and restore your account via our Account Recovery Portal. After 48 hours, all personal data is permanently erased subject only to retention required for statutory compliance, financial audit, or ongoing third-party dispute records.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to mandatory consumer protections that may apply, courts at Hyderabad, Telangana shall have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms or the Platform, without prejudice to any professional regulatory proceedings before Bar Councils or courts in a matter itself.

14. Contact & Corporate Information

Briefly is developed and operated by Cruvels Private Limited.

Legal notices, Platform Policies, and Terms inquiries: [email protected] · Support: [email protected] · Policies: cruvels.com/legal-platform-policies