At a glance. Every matter begins with a close reading of your papers. After that we tell you whether the grievance can be taken to the Central Administrative Tribunal, which bench will hear it, how much time is left and what the work will involve, and we can put this advice in writing. Our professional fee is settled in writing at the first meeting for each stage of the work. Tribunal fees and out-of-pocket expenses are separate, and we explain them before anything is filed.
Your first consultation
It helps if the papers reach us a day or two before we meet. The key document is the order that hurts you. Along with it, please share whatever you wrote to the department and anything it wrote back, the orders on your appointment, promotion and pay, the service book pages that matter, APAR copies where grading is in issue, recent salary slips or the PPO, and any emails or letters on the subject. Suppose a recovery is to start from next month's salary, or a relieving order is dated for Monday: say so at the very start, because a stay is far easier to get before the order is carried out than after.
Four questions are settled at this meeting. Does your post fall within the tribunal's jurisdiction, or should the case go to a High Court or the Armed Forces Tribunal? Is there still time under Section 21, or will a delay application be needed? Has the department had its fair chance to fix the problem through a representation or appeal, as Section 20 expects? And which bench is the right one? Once these are answered, you go home with a written next step and a rough calendar.
How a matter moves forward
Study and opinion
We go through your file, test it against the service rules and the time limit, and set out the routes open to you. Sometimes that is a fresh representation, sometimes an appeal or an RTI request, and sometimes an Original Application with a prayer for interim relief. Where the department is willing to correct its own mistake, we say so plainly.
Groundwork with the department
If the department has not yet been asked to reconsider, we prepare the representation or statutory appeal and send it through your controlling officer. In parallel we draft RTI requests to obtain DPC proceedings, file notings, the rules applied and any other record the order rests on.
Preparing and filing the OA
The Original Application under Section 19 is drafted with an index, a list of dates and all annexures. We deposit the tribunal fee, file the case (online where the bench allows it) and, where needed, move a separate application for a stay or for condonation of delay.
Pleadings and hearing
The respondents file a reply, and we answer it in a rejoinder. Additional affidavits follow if the record needs them. Arguments are then heard by a single member or a bench of two members, depending on the case.
Once the order is passed
We write to the department with the certified copy and follow up on compliance. If it sits on the order without good reason, a contempt petition is the next step. An obvious mistake in the order can be raised through a review application. If the department or you take the order to the High Court in a writ, we handle that stage too.
Fees and costs
This website does not quote fees. Advocates in India are not allowed to advertise their charges, and in any case the work differs a great deal from one file to the next: the bench, how urgent the matter is, how many hearings it takes and how firmly the department resists all make a difference. At the first meeting we discuss the fee and record it in writing stage by stage, so there are no surprises later.
| Head of cost | What it covers | How the amount is decided |
|---|---|---|
| Professional fee | Advice, drafting and court appearances by our advocates, stage by stage | Settled in writing between you and the firm |
| Tribunal fee | The fixed filing fee payable on an Original Application under the CAT (Procedure) Rules | Prescribed by the Rules; we confirm the figure in force at the time of filing |
| Incidental expenses | Notary and oath charges, certified copies, typing, photocopies and paper books, postage, and travel where a hearing is outside Delhi NCR | Charged at actual cost |
| Counsel at another bench | Appearance through associate counsel at a bench outside Delhi, or filing before the Supreme Court | Discussed and agreed with you beforehand |
The Bar Council of India rules forbid an advocate from taking a percentage of arrears, pension or any other sum you recover. Our fee is for the work, not linked to the outcome.
Staying in touch
When a hearing ends, you receive a brief update on what the bench said and what the next date is for. If something is needed from you, such as a signature, a document or a reply to a point in the department's counter, we tell you well before the deadline. You get a copy of every paper we file on your behalf.
Ready to begin? Book a consultation, or first read our page on filing an Original Application.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first consultation free?
When you book, we tell you whether a consultation fee applies. The fee for handling the matter is separate and is put in writing before we start any work.
Can I pay you a percentage of the arrears once I win?
No. Bar Council of India rules do not allow an advocate to tie the fee to the outcome or to take a cut of the money recovered. The fee is agreed for the work, stage by stage.
Will I need to attend the tribunal myself?
In most matters, no. You sign the application and affidavits, and our advocate argues the case. Several benches also hear matters by video link if your presence is required.
My case belongs to a bench outside Delhi. Can you still take it?
Yes. We prepare the pleadings and plan the case from Delhi, and associate counsel at that bench appears on the dates. You keep a single point of contact with our office throughout.