Privacy Policy

LegalBharat (“LegalBharat”, “we”, “us”) operates this website and the related services that connect businesses and individuals with independent professionals (advocates, chartered accountants and company secretaries). For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (the “DPDP Act”), we are the Data Fiduciary for the personal data described in this policy.

LegalBharat is not a law firm. Advocates who take on a matter through the platform act independently and are responsible for the personal data they receive in the course of that work.

This policy applies to personal data we collect through this website, through WhatsApp and phone conversations with us, and through any account you create. It does not cover websites or services run by others, including government portals we link to.

Information you give us. When you submit an enquiry, register a matter or contact us, we collect:

• your name, mobile number and email address;
• for businesses, your company name and your role;
• for individuals, your city;
• a description of your matter, and any documents, screenshots or records you choose to share with us.

A description of a legal matter can reveal sensitive information, such as financial details or facts about a family dispute or a crime. Please share only what is needed to explain the matter.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our servers record technical information when you visit: your IP address, browser type, device type, the pages you view and the time of your visit. We use this to keep the website secure and working.

We use your personal data only to:

• understand your matter and contact you about it;
• assign a professional whose practice suits your matter;
• send you updates about a matter you have registered;
• keep records we are required to keep by law;
• protect the website and our users against fraud and misuse.

We do not sell personal data, we do not use it for advertising profiles, and we do not send you marketing messages unless you have asked for them.

We process your personal data on the basis of the consent you give when you submit a form or contact us, and for the legitimate uses permitted by section 7 of the DPDP Act, such as complying with a legal obligation.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us as set out below. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place before it, and we may be unable to continue helping with a matter once consent is withdrawn.

We share personal data only with:

• the professional assigned to your matter, and only after they have agreed to consider it;
• service providers who host our website, store our data or deliver our messages, under contracts that limit their use of the data to providing that service;
• government authorities, courts or law enforcement, where the law requires us to.

Matter details are never published on the website and are not shown to other users or to advocates who have not been assigned to the matter.

We keep personal data for as long as your matter is active, and afterwards only for as long as the law requires or as is needed to resolve a dispute about our services. Enquiries that do not proceed to a matter are deleted within twelve months of your last contact with us. When data is no longer needed it is deleted or anonymised.

We use reasonable security safeguards to protect personal data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access restricted to the people who need it, and service providers who maintain their own security controls. No system is completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we will inform the Data Protection Board of India and the people affected, as the DPDP Act requires.

Under the DPDP Act you have the right to:

• obtain a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we use it;
• have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected or updated;
• have your data erased when it is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected for;
• withdraw your consent;
• nominate another person to exercise these rights if you die or become incapacitated;
• have a grievance about our handling of your data addressed.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us as set out in the last section. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

We use only the cookies needed for the website to work, such as those that keep you signed in and protect forms against misuse. We do not use advertising cookies. If we introduce analytics cookies in future, we will update this policy and ask for your consent first.

Our services are intended for people aged 18 and over. Where a matter concerns a child, it should be registered by a parent or lawful guardian, whose consent we rely on as the DPDP Act requires. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children.

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last changed. If a change affects how we use personal data you have already given us, we will tell you before it takes effect.

For questions about this policy, to exercise your rights, or to raise a grievance, contact us on WhatsApp on +91 97394 48367, with the subject “Privacy”. We will acknowledge your message within 24 hours and aim to resolve it within 15 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India. See also our Terms and Conditions.