Who it is for
Small and mid-sized companies, startups, NBFCs and fintech lenders, real-estate developers, trading and manufacturing firms, professional practices, and family businesses that regularly need contracts reviewed, notices sent or answered, recoveries pursued and disputes handled — but not often enough to employ a full-time lawyer.
What a retainer covers
The scope is written down before it begins. A typical arrangement includes:
- Contracts — drafting and review of customer, vendor, distribution, employment, NDA, lease and service agreements, with a standard-form library built for the business over time.
- Notices — legal notices for recovery, breach and termination; replies to notices received; cheque-bounce demand notices within the statutory time.
- Recovery — a structured process from reminder to notice to Section 138 complaint, commercial suit or IBC demand notice, with a monthly recovery report.
- Disputes and litigation management — appearance in matters within the retainer’s scope, coordination of matters handled by other counsel, and a single monthly status report on every pending case.
- Compliance and advisory queries — quick written answers on employment, consumer, data-protection, RERA, MSME and regulatory questions as they arise.
- Board and management — attendance at a monthly review; advice on shareholder and partnership issues.
Court appearances, filings, out-of-pocket expenses and work outside the agreed scope are quoted separately and approved before they are incurred, so that there are no surprises.
How it is structured
- Onboarding — a review of existing contracts, pending disputes, notices and compliance exposure, producing a written risk map and a prioritised action list.
- Scope and fee — a monthly retainer for the agreed categories of work, a defined number of hours or matters, a turnaround commitment for routine documents, and a fee schedule for anything beyond scope.
- Working rhythm — a single point of contact, a shared matter tracker, a monthly report, and a quarterly review of the arrangement.
Why businesses use it
Contracts are signed on time instead of after the deal is done. Recoveries start before the debt goes stale. Notices are answered within the period they set. Litigation is coordinated instead of scattered across several lawyers. And the cost is known in advance.
To discuss a retainer, send an enquiry with the nature of your business, the kinds of work you expect, and any pending disputes, or call the chambers. Conflict of interest is checked before any engagement is confirmed.