Terms and Conditions
1. Introduction
Vakeel Online operates a website and mobile application to provide a platform that connects users with lawyers, legal experts, and law firms. These terms and conditions (“T&Cs”) are designed to inform users (“you”) about the terms governing the use and access of our website, application, services, and platform. By using this site/application or services, you accept and agree to be bound by these T&Cs, which constitute a legal contract between you and Vakeel Online. Vakeel Online reserves the right to change these T&Cs at any time. Any such changes will apply to all subsequent access to or use of our sites and services. If you do not accept and agree to all provisions of these T&Cs, you may reject them by immediately terminating all access and use of our sites and services. Any continued access or use of our sites and services after such termination is unauthorised. Unless expressly permitted by supplemental terms, our sites and services are intended for general audiences 18 years of age and older. Access or use by anyone younger is not authorised.2. Role of Vakeel Online
Vakeel Online provides a platform to connect users with lawyers and advocates by offering their contact details, giving you the autonomy to select and engage legal professionals based on your needs. The information available on our site/application is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal advice. Except for retaining registration information with respect to the user and the lawyers/advocates, Vakeel Online does not review any information you provide to any lawyer/ advocate, nor do we provide legal opinions or conclusions. This platform is solely designed to facilitate collaboration and communication between legal professionals and those seeking legal assistance, providing access to virtual community communication management tools, as well as secure payment and invoicing tools. Please note that Vakeel Online is not an advertising service for lawyers/advocates, and the listings on this platform do not constitute referrals or endorsements. It is your sole responsibility to verify the credentials and licenses of any advocate before making a hiring decision.3. Legal Consultation and Engagement
- Vakeel Online is not a “Lawyer Referral Service” but a platform that facilitates access to a digital directory of independent legal professionals. The lawyers/advocates listed on our platform operate their practices as independent contractors and are not employees, agents, or representatives of Vakeel Online. These professionals have agreed to provide online consultations, limited legal services, or other related assistance based on their engagement with users. The directory is offered as a free public service, not as a paid advertisement or endorsement. Vakeel Online does not endorse, recommend, or make any warranty regarding the qualifications, competence, or legal ability of any listed lawyers/advocates.
- Vakeel Online is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not involved in any agreements between users and subscribing lawyers/advocates.
- No attorney-client relationship is created between the user and Vakeel Online or any listed lawyer/ advocate through the use of this platform. When you contact an attorney through the Vakeel Online platform, any initial interactions and any attorney-client relationship formed during that interaction are strictly between you and the attorney and expressly exclude Vakeel Online.
- Communications between you and the lawyer/advocate may not be protected as privileged communications under the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine. Your use of our site, application, or services does not automatically create an attorney-client relationship between you and the lawyer/law firm, its employees, or representatives unless you enter into a separate engagement agreement with them.
- While you may submit legal questions and obtain advice from lawyers/advocates through the platform, initial consultations or other interactions are preliminary in nature and do not necessarily constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship. If you choose to engage a law/ advocate for legal assistance, a separate engagement agreement will be required to formalise the lawyer-client relationship, and additional terms and conditions will apply, which will be provided to you prior to entering into that engagement.
- You control the duration and scope of the interaction with the lawyer/advocate on the platform. Any attorney-client relationship may either end when the interaction with the lawyer/advocate ends or continue if you and the attorney agree to further legal services.
- Vakeel Online makes reasonable efforts to verify that subscribing lawyers/advocates are licensed by requiring them to self-attest to their qualifications; we rely on their professional and ethical duties and do not conduct independent inquiries or guarantee their licensing status. Furthermore, Vakeel Online does not warrant that subscribing lawyers/advocates maintain professional liability insurance, although they are encouraged to do so. Users are advised to research any lawyers/ advocates before engagement and are solely responsible for their decisions.
- Vakeel Online is not liable for the actions or omissions of any lawyers/advocates providing services to users, and we do not predict or guarantee outcomes.
- The platform also contains links to third-party websites, integration with third-party services and third-party generated content, which is not reviewed or endorsed by Vakeel Online and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal advice. Vakeel Online disclaims any responsibility for such content, and users assume all risks associated with its use.s.
4. Obligations and Responsibilities of the User
1. Account Creation
When creating an account on the Vakeel Online platform, you must provide your full name, a valid email address, phone number, other requisite information (“Account Data”) and a declaration stating that you have the legal capacity to agree to these T&Cs.2. Selection and Hiring of a Lawyer
As a user of this site or application, you are solely responsible for selecting and hiring a lawyer or advocate. The Vakeel Online platform provides profiles of prospective legal professionals using its proprietary directory technology. Still, it is your responsibility to thoroughly vet these professionals to ensure they are a good fit for your legal needs. While the platform may include details about a lawyer’s qualifications, legal practice areas, pricing, and experience, this information should only serve as a preliminary introduction. Vakeel Online does not guarantee that you will find suitable legal representation through the platform and does not investigate, verify, or warrant the accuracy of the information provided in the profiles. Hiring a lawyer or advocate is a crucial decision that should not be based solely on the information available on Vakeel Online. You are encouraged to conduct additional research before making a hiring decision. The legal professionals listed on the platform are independent contractors responsible for the legal services they provide directly to you and not through Vakeel Online.3. Forming an Attorney-Client Relationship
Forming an attorney-client relationship is entirely up to you and the lawyer/advocate you choose. You should discuss any concerns regarding legal representation with the professional and obtain a written agreement detailing the costs and scope of the legal services. Vakeel Online does not influence or involve itself in the professional services provided by these legal professionals.4. Security and Confidentiality
You are responsible for all activity associated with your account. To maintain the security of your Account Data, you are advised to avoid using obvious User IDs or passwords, change your password regularly, refrain from disclosing your password(s) or granting access to third-party, and ensure that you log out of your account at the end of each session. Vakeel Online may store and use your account data for account maintenance as otherwise provided in these terms. In case of a security breach or unauthorised use of your account/platform, you must notify Vakeel Online immediately. Vakeel Online is not liable for any losses or damages resulting from your failure to maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials. Vakeel Online may, without prior notice, immediately terminate, limit your access to, or suspend your account and any associated email address for various reasons, including breaches of the T&Cs, requests by legal authorities, discontinuance or modification of the platform, technical or security issues, inactivity, engagement in fraudulent or illegal activities, misrepresentation and nonpayment of fees. Such terminations, limitations, or suspensions will be at Vakeel Online’s sole discretion, and Vakeel Online shall not be liable to you or any third party for any resulting consequences.5. Prohibited Conduct
You agree not to use the platform to:
a) Engage in any unlawful activity or to advocate, promote, or assist any unlawful act;
b) Impersonate any person or entity or falsely represent yourself;
c) Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or violate the legal rights of others;
d) Publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate any names, materials, or information that is considered inappropriate, profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, or unlawful;
e) Upload files containing viruses, malware, or any other harmful code;
f) Engage in any conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the platform or which, as determined by Vakeel Online, may harm Vakeel Online or users of the platform;
g) Harvest or otherwise collect any information about other users, either individually or in the aggregate, or about Vakeel Online’s platform generally;
h) Copy, adapt, decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of the Platform
i) Disparage, tarnish or otherwise harm Vakeel Online or its platform;
j) Misuse Vakeel Online’s support services or submit false reports; and
k) Violate any applicable laws or regulations.
5. Disclaimer of Representations and Limitation of Liability
You expressly agree that use of the platform is at your own risk and is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Vakeel Online does not warrant that the information, software, and services provided through the platform will be accurate, reliable, or free of errors or typographical mistakes. Vakeel Online will assume no liability or responsibility for any (1) errors, inaccuracies or omission in content and materials, (2) personal injury or property damage of any nature whatsoever resulting from your access to and use of the platform, (3) unauthorised access to or use of the personal or financial information stored therein, (4) interruption or cessation of transmission to or from the platform, (5) bugs, viruses, trojan horses, or the like which may be transmitted to or through the platform, and/or (6) errors or omissions in any content and materials or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any content posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the platform. These disclaimers of liability apply to any and all damages or injury whatsoever caused by or related to the use of, or inability to use, the platform under any cause or action of any jurisdiction, including, without limitation, actions for breach of warranty, breach of contract or tort (including negligence). To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Vakeel Online will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary or consequential damages, punitive, personal injury/wrongful death, lost or anticipated profits, lost data, or business interruption, the use or misuse of any content in any way whatsoever arising out of the use of, or inability to use, the platform, whether or not the Vakeel online parties has been warned of the possibility of such damages. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, you hereby release, discharge, and covenant not to sue Vakeel Online from any and all liability, claims, actions, and expenses that may arise, whether caused by the negligence of Vakeel Online or otherwise, in connection with use of the platform or through or as a result of the platform. In no event shall Vakeel Online be liable to any listed lawyer/advocate, user or any third party for payment or reimbursement of any fees. Participation by the lawyers/advocates and the user in the payment dispute process constitutes an agreement between the lawyer/advocate and the user. The user/ and lawyer/advocate shall not claim or claim any liability on the part of Vakeel Online related to the payment dispute process in any way.6. No Endorsement and Guarantee
7. Ownership of Intellectual Property Rights
VVakeel Online retains all rights, titles, and interests in the platform, including all intellectual property rights, whether registered or not. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the platform for personal, non-commercial purposes, subject to these T&Cs. All content on the platform, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is owned by Vakeel Online or its respective owners and may not be used or reproduced without their prior express written consent. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these T&Cs, Vakeel Online owns all rights, title or interest in the content of any reviews by you/user on this platform, including reviews of lawyers/advocates and such reviews cannot be used or published elsewhere without Vakeel Online’s prior written authorisation. In addition, by submitting any suggestions, enhancement requests, recommendations, or other feedback, you automatically grant Vakeel Online a royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable, and perpetual license to use and incorporate such feedback into our sites and services.8. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Vakeel Online and its employees, representatives and agents from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand, including legal counsel fees and expenses, made by any third party due to or arising out of (1) use of the platform; (2) breach of these T&Cs; (3) any breach of your representations and warranties set forth; (4) your violation of the rights of a third party, including but not limited to intellectual property rights; or (5) any overt harmful act toward any user of the platform with whom you connected via the platform. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Vakeel Online reserve the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defence and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us and agree to cooperate with our defence of such claims. Vakeel Online will use reasonable efforts to notify you regarding any such claim, action, or proceeding which is subject to this indemnification upon becoming aware of it.9. Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution
These T&Cs shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In the event of any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with the use of the platform/services, the users are requested to submit such dispute in the form of a complaint directly to Vakeel Online. The complaint should include your name, postal address, telephone number, and email address, along with the declaration regarding the accuracy and authenticity of the information provided therein. Send the complaint, electronically or digitally, signed using any of the following preferred methods, with the subject “Dispute Notice”:| Email Address | [email protected] or [email protected] |