Terms & Conditions

1. PREAMBLE AND ACCEPTANCE
1.1 These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern access to and use of the website/platform "Oh! So Legal" (the "Platform"), including all content, information, and services made available thereon.

1.2 By accessing the Platform, submitting an application, uploading any document, or availing of any service offered through the Platform, the user ("Applicant") shall be deemed to have read, understood, and unconditionally accepted these Terms in their entirety. If the Applicant does not accept these Terms, in whole or in part, the Applicant shall refrain from accessing or using the Platform.

1.3 These Terms shall be read in conjunction with the Privacy Policy of the Platform, which is incorporated herein by reference and shall form an integral part of these Terms.

2. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:
2.1 "Applicant" means any natural person who accesses the Platform and submits an application seeking legal awareness/information.

2.2 "Application" or "Query" means the submission made by an Applicant through the Platform, comprising the nature of the matter selected, the description furnished, and any documents uploaded in connection therewith.

2.3 "Consultant(s)" means the founder of the Platform, and such practicing advocates, legal researchers, and associates as may, from time to time, review and respond to Applications on a voluntary basis.

2.4 "Response" means any information, guidance, or communication furnished by a Consultant to an Applicant pursuant to an Application.

2.5 "OSL", "we", "us", or "our" refers collectively to the founder and the Consultants operating the Platform, it being clarified that OSL is not, and does not hold itself out to be, a company, firm, LLP, or any other entity incorporated or registered under any statute for the time being in force.

3. NATURE AND STATUS OF OSL
3.1 OSL is a pro bono legal awareness initiative conceived and administered by its founder, in furtherance of his professional and constitutional commitment towards legal literacy and access to justice, and not for profit, fee, or commercial gain of any nature whatsoever.

3.2 Nothing contained in these Terms, on the Platform, or in any Response shall be construed as constituting a partnership, joint venture, agency, or any other legal relationship between OSL and any Applicant/User, save as expressly provided herein.

4. NATURE OF SERVICES; NO LEGAL ADVICE
4.1 The services rendered through the Platform are confined to the dissemination of general legal awareness and information for the education and benefit of the public at large, and shall not, under any circumstance, be construed, interpreted, or relied upon as legal advice, legal opinion, professional consultation, or representation within the meaning ascribed thereto under the Advocates Act, 1961, or any rules framed thereunder.

4.2 No Response furnished by OSL shall be construed as a substitute for independent legal advice rendered by an advocate engaged specifically for the purpose, upon a complete and considered examination of all facts, pleadings, and documentary record germane to the Applicant's matter.

4.3 Non-Admissibility and Non-Use of Response. The Applicant expressly acknowledges and agrees that any Response furnished by OSL is intended solely to apprise the Applicant of the general legal position and is not intended for, and shall not be produced, tendered, relied upon, cited, or otherwise used as evidence, submission, or material of any kind before any court of law, tribunal, judicial or quasi-judicial forum, arbitral tribunal, statutory authority, or any other adjudicatory or dispute resolution proceeding whatsoever. OSL, its founder, and its Consultants disclaim any responsibility and liability arising from, or in connection with, any such use, and reserve the right to decline to authenticate, verify, or stand by any Response so used, notwithstanding its origin from the Platform.

4.4 No Attorney-Client Relationship. The submission of an Application, the rendering of a Response, or any communication whatsoever between an Applicant and OSL or its Consultants shall not give rise to an advocate-client relationship, nor shall any privilege ordinarily attaching to such relationship under The Indian Evidence Act, 1872, The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, The Advocates Act, 1961, or The Bar Council of India Rules framed thereunder, be deemed to arise or subsist.

4.5 No Solicitation. OSL, its founder, and its Consultants expressly clarify that: (a) no content on the Platform, nor any Response, constitutes solicitation, invitation, advertisement, or personal communication seeking engagement of professional services; (b) the Applicant has, of their own volition and without any solicitation whatsoever by OSL, its founder, or its Consultants, sought information from the Platform for their own knowledge and purposes; and (c) access to and use of the Platform is at the Applicant's own initiative, and any information obtained herefrom is for the Applicant's personal, non-commercial use.

5. ELIGIBILITY
5.1 The Applicant represents and warrants that they are not less than eighteen (18) years of age and are competent to contract within the meaning of Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

5.2 OSL does not knowingly solicit, accept, or entertain Applications from minors, and reserves the right to refuse or discontinue service upon discovering that an Applicant does not satisfy this eligibility criterion.

6. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS; RESTRICTIONS
6.1 An Applicant may submit an Application by selecting the nature of the matter, furnishing a detailed description thereof, optionally uploading supporting documents, and providing contact particulars (electronic mail address or WhatsApp number) for receipt of a Response, subject to acceptance of these Terms.

6.2 Exclusion of Matters Already Under Engagement. The Applicant shall not submit, and OSL shall not be obligated to entertain, any Application in respect of a matter wherein an advocate has already been briefed, retained, or engaged, whether formally or informally, and where the Application is made with a view to soliciting a second opinion on advice already rendered by such advocate. The Platform is intended solely to extend legal awareness to persons who do not otherwise have access to or the benefit of engaged legal counsel in respect of the matter in question, and is not a forum for the review, audit, or second-guessing of advice rendered by an Applicant's own engaged advocate. OSL reserves the right to decline, at its sole discretion, any Application that it has reason to believe falls foul of this Clause.

7. ONE CONSULTATION PER APPLICATION
7.1 Each Application shall be entitled to one (1) Response from OSL. Save as provided in Clause 7.2, OSL shall be under no obligation to entertain further correspondence, follow-up queries, or repeated review in respect of the same Application once a Response has been furnished.

7.2 Where the Consultant reviewing an Application is of the view that the information or documentation furnished is incomplete, ambiguous, or insufficient for the purpose of furnishing a Response, such Consultant may, at their sole and absolute discretion, seek further information or clarification from the Applicant. For the avoidance of doubt, this is a discretionary courtesy and shall not be construed as conferring upon the Applicant any right, entitlement, or legitimate expectation of follow-up communication.

7.3 The Applicant is advised to furnish as complete and accurate a description of the matter, and such documentation, as the Applicant is willing to share, it being expressly acknowledged that the utility and completeness of any Response is contingent upon the completeness and accuracy of the information so furnished.

8. RESPONSE TIMELINE
OSL shall endeavour to furnish a Response within forty-eight (48) hours of successful submission of an Application, subject to the maximum number of Applications OSL is able to process on any given day. The Applicant acknowledges that OSL render this service voluntarily, in addition to and alongside their respective regular professional practice, court appearances, and professional commitments, and that OSL accordingly reserves the right to take such additional time as may be necessary to furnish a Response, without any warranty or guarantee as to a specific turnaround time in respect of any particular Application.

9. RELIANCE ON APPLICANT-FURNISHED INFORMATION
9.1 Every Response furnished by OSL is generated exclusively on the basis of the facts, particulars, and documents furnished by the Applicant at the time of submission of the Application. OSL does not undertake, and shall not be deemed to have undertaken, any independent verification, investigation, or authentication of any information or document so furnished.

9.2 The Applicant acknowledges and agrees that: (a) comprehensive and reliable legal guidance can only be rendered upon a careful and complete examination of the entire factual matrix and perusal of the complete record and documentation germane to a matter, which exercise does not form part of, and is not undertaken as part of, this awareness initiative; (b) any Response is necessarily circumscribed by, and contingent upon, the information voluntarily furnished by the Applicant, which may be incomplete, inaccurate, selectively disclosed, or one-sided; and (c) OSL, its founder, and its Consultants shall bear no responsibility, obligation, or liability whatsoever, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, for any omission, inaccuracy, incompleteness, or misrepresentation in the information or documentation furnished by the Applicant, or for any consequence, direct or indirect, arising from reliance placed on a Response rendered on the basis thereof.

10. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
10.1 The Platform, and all content, information, and Responses made available thereon or thereby, are provided strictly on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranty of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including without limitation any warranty as to accuracy, completeness, currency, or fitness for a particular purpose.

10.2 To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall OSL, its founder, or its Consultants be liable to any Applicant or third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive loss or damage whatsoever (including, without limitation, loss of legal right, loss of limitation, loss of remedy, financial loss, or loss of opportunity), whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with: (a) any act, omission, or decision undertaken by the Applicant in reliance upon a Response; (b) any delay in, or failure to furnish, a Response; (c) any error, omission, or inaccuracy in a Response; or (d) any unauthorised access to, or disclosure of, information or documents submitted by the Applicant.
No liability whatsoever shall accrue to OSL, its founder, or its Consultants in respect of any of the foregoing, irrespective of the manner or cause of such occurrence.

10.3 The Applicant is advised, in their own interest, to independently verify any information received through the Platform and, in respect of any matter requiring formal legal advice, opinion, representation, or action, to engage an advocate of their choosing, or to approach the appropriate Legal Services Authority, Lok Adalat, Tribunal, or Court of competent jurisdiction.

11. CONFIDENTIALITY AND INTERNAL SHARING OF INFORMATION
11.1 Information and documents furnished by an Applicant may be accessed, reviewed, and shared internally amongst the founder, Consultants, and researchers associated with the Platform, solely for the purpose of evaluating and responding to the Application. By submitting an Application, the Applicant consents to such internal access and sharing.

11.2 The Applicant is advised to exercise independent discretion and to furnish only such information and documentation as the Applicant is willing and comfortable disclosing to the OSL team as a whole. OSL shall bear no responsibility or liability for any consequence arising from an Applicant's decision to upload or disclose sensitive, privileged, or confidential material through the Platform.

11.3 The collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information is further governed by OSL's Privacy Policy. In the event of any conflict between this Clause 11 and the Privacy Policy on matters pertaining to data handling, the Privacy Policy shall prevail.

12. GRATUITOUS NATURE OF SERVICE; WAIVER
12.1 The services rendered through the Platform are furnished entirely free of charge, without consultation fee or any consideration of any nature whatsoever, as a voluntary, pro-bono and gratuitous contribution towards legal literacy and access to justice.

12.2 In consideration of the gratuitous rendering of such services by OSL, its founder, and its Consultants, and absent any fee, charge, or commercial benefit accruing to OSL in connection therewith, the Applicant expressly, voluntarily, and knowingly waives, releases, and relinquishes any right to institute, initiate, maintain, or pursue any claim, suit, complaint, or proceeding of any nature whatsoever against OSL, its founder, or its Consultants, arising out of or in connection with any service rendered, Response furnished, or omission occurring in connection with the Platform. No liability whatsoever shall accrue to OSL, its founder, or its Consultants in this regard.

12.3 Nothing contained in Clause 12.2 shall be construed as ousting the jurisdiction of any consumer forum, court, or statutory authority to the extent that such ouster is impermissible under applicable law, including Section 28 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

13. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
These Terms shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of India. Subject to Clause 12 above, any dispute, difference, 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 courts at Hyderabad, Telangana, to the exclusion of all other courts.

14. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All content available on the Platform, including text, graphics, logos, and the "Oh! So Legal" name and mark, is the property of its founder, and no Applicant or third party shall reproduce, copy, distribute, or otherwise exploit the same for any commercial purpose without prior written consent.

15. MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION
15.1 OSL reserves the right to modify, amend, revise, or update these Terms at any time and at its sole discretion, without prior notice to any Applicant. Continued use of the Platform following any such modification shall constitute the Applicant's acceptance of the Terms as so modified.

15.2 OSL reserves the right to suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Platform, or any service rendered thereunder, in whole or in part, at any time, without prior notice, without assigning reasons, and without incurring any liability whatsoever to any Applicant on account of such suspension, discontinuation, or termination.

16. SEVERABILITY
Should any provision of these Terms be held by a court or authority of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be severed, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, unaffected thereby.