--- title: "Legal Drafting Advocate in Ernakulam, Kerala" description: "Legal notices, agreements, pleadings, bail and quash petitions drafted in Ernakulam for Kerala courts, sent remotely in Word and PDF. Information only." url: "https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/" image: "https://advaslam.com/og/practice/drafting.png" --- Practice · Remote · Kerala & abroad # Legal drafting and contract review advocate in Ernakulam I draft legal notices and replies, agreements, pleadings, affidavits and legal opinions, working remotely for clients in Kerala, elsewhere in India and abroad. Court documents follow the formats used before the High Court of Kerala and the courts at Ernakulam, and every draft is delivered in Word and searchable PDF. Adv. K J Muhammed Aslam · Bar Council of Kerala · High Court Junction, Ernakulam 41 matter types · [See every matter →](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/) · [Contact details →](https://advaslam.com/contact/) Coverage ## What does this area cover? - **[Notices and replies](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/notices-replies/)** — Demand notices, the s.138 NI Act cheque notice within 30 days of the dishonour information, s.80 CPC notices before suing the Government, SARFAESI s.13(3A) representations, cease-and-desist, tenancy, defamation and employment notices, and paragraph-wise replies that avoid fresh admissions. - **[Agreements — drafting and review (contracts)](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/agreements/)** — Service, vendor and SaaS agreements, data processing agreements under s.8(2) of the DPDP Act, NDAs drafted within s.27 of the Contract Act, employment and founders' agreements, private loan and settlement agreements, and the choice between a lease and a leave-and-licence. - **[Pleadings, affidavits and opinions](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/pleadings-affidavits-opinions/)** — Plaints under Order VII and written statements under Order VIII CPC, interlocutory and delay-condonation applications, Crl.M.C. under BNSS s.528, bail and anticipatory bail applications, BSA s.63 certificates, NCRP complaint drafts, s.9 arbitration petitions and reasoned legal opinions. - **[Remote drafting workflow](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/remote-workflow/)** — Intake of facts and papers by email, a conflict check before instructions are accepted, a written scope letter, drafts in Word with a searchable PDF, e-signature under the IT Act where the document allows it, and notes on stamp duty and registration in Kerala. ## Which documents cannot be e-signed, and what about stamp duty in Kerala? Electronic signatures under ss.5 and 10A of the IT Act work for most commercial documents, including service, vendor, SaaS, NDA and employment agreements. The First Schedule to the Act excludes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, negotiable instruments other than cheques, and contracts for the sale or conveyance of immovable property. These are signed on paper, with attestation or notarisation where their own law requires it. An e-signature does not settle stamp duty or registration. Duty on an instrument executed in Kerala is charged under the Kerala Stamp Act at the rate in force on the date of execution, and it is safer to stamp before signing: under s.34 of that Act, an unstamped instrument is generally admitted in evidence only after the duty and a penalty are paid. A lease from year to year, for a term exceeding one year or reserving a yearly rent can be made only by a registered instrument (Transfer of Property Act s.107), and a document for registration must be presented within four months of execution (Registration Act s.23). A leave-and-licence that is a lease in substance may be treated as one. ## Which agreements are drafted and reviewed? [Agreements — drafting and review](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/agreements/) covers ten contract types: service agreements for freelancers and consultants, vendor agreements for goods or services, SaaS subscription and software agreements, data processing agreements under the DPDP Act, NDAs, employment contracts and appointment terms, founders’ agreements with equity vesting, private loan agreements, commercial leases or leave-and-licence agreements, and full-and-final settlement agreements. A draft can be prepared from scratch, or a contract the other side has sent can be reviewed clause by clause before it is signed. Forums ## Which court or authority hears it? | Matter | Law | Forum | Time limit | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Cheque bounce demand notice | NI Act s.138(b), s.142(1)(b) | Judicial Magistrate (complaint) | Notice within 30 days of dishonour information; complaint within one month after the 15-day payment period | | Notice before suing the Government | CPC s.80 | Civil court | Suit only two months after delivery, unless leave under s.80(2) | | Objection to a SARFAESI demand notice | SARFAESI Act s.13(2), s.13(3A) | Secured creditor; DRT under s.17 | Within the 60-day notice period; reasons for rejection within 15 days | | Written statement in a civil suit | CPC Order VIII r.1 | Civil court; Commercial Court | 30 days from service; up to 90 days for recorded reasons; 120 days in commercial suits | | Quash petition (Crl.M.C.) | BNSS s.528 | High Court of Kerala | No fixed limit | | Interim relief before arbitration | Arbitration and Conciliation Act s.9 | Principal civil court; High Court in international commercial arbitration | Arbitration to begin within 90 days of the order | | Lease for more than one year | Transfer of Property Act s.107; Registration Act ss.17, 23 | Sub-Registrar | Present for registration within 4 months of execution | | Electronic record certificate | BSA s.63(4) | Trial court, filed with the record | Each time the record is tendered in evidence | Limits run from the date the law specifies; check them against your own dates. How it proceeds ## How does a matter proceed? 1. **Facts and papers.** You send the chronology and every document by email, in any order; gaps are listed back to you in writing before drafting starts. 2. **Conflict check and scope letter.** The parties are checked against past and pending matters, and a scope letter fixes the deliverables, exclusions such as court fee and stamp duty, the number of revisions and the turnaround. 3. **Draft and confirmation.** The first draft comes in Word for comments. You confirm names, dates and amounts in writing, because a draft never supplies facts the papers do not show. 4. **Final delivery.** The final document is issued in Word and as a searchable, paginated PDF, with enclosures indexed and filings formatted to the registry's requirements at the High Court of Kerala or the trial court. 5. **Execution or filing.** E-signature where the IT Act allows it; stamp paper, registration or notarisation where the document needs them; or filing before the court or authority concerned. ## What should you keep ready? - A dated chronology in your own words - The contract, invoices, ledger or account statement the claim rests on - Earlier notices, replies and messages with the other side, with proof of dispatch - For cheque cases: the cheque, the bank return memo and the date you received it - For court filings: FIR, charge sheet, orders and any earlier petitions in the matter - Identity proof and, for a company or firm, the resolution or authority to act - The outcome you want: payment, performance, withdrawal, settlement or a suit Reading ## Guides and articles on this area - [Received a Legal Notice? How to Respond, Step by Step](https://advaslam.com/writing/how-to-respond-legal-notice/) Article General answers on formats and process follow; every draft is adapted to the facts and the forum. For a notice you have received, see [how to respond to a legal notice](https://advaslam.com/writing/how-to-respond-legal-notice/); for cheque cases, the [s.138 procedure guide](https://advaslam.com/guides/section-138-cheque-bounce-kerala-procedure/); and the [drafting matters index](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/) lists each document with its skeleton and enclosures. FAQ ## Common questions **Can you draft for me if I live outside Kerala or outside India?** Yes. Drafting is document work: facts and papers come by email, questions are settled on a call, and the final document is delivered in Word and searchable PDF, ready for execution or filing where that applies. **When must a cheque bounce notice be sent?** Within 30 days of receiving the bank's information that the cheque was returned unpaid, under s.138(b) of the NI Act. The drawer then has 15 days to pay, and the complaint must be filed within one month after that. **Can an agreement be signed electronically in India?** Yes, for most contracts, under ss.5 and 10A of the IT Act. The Act's First Schedule excludes documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, negotiable instruments other than cheques, and contracts for the sale of immovable property. **Is a leave-and-licence agreement the same as a lease?** No. A lease transfers an interest with exclusive possession while a licence is only permission to use, and substance decides rather than the label; a lease from year to year, above one year or reserving a yearly rent must be registered. **Does sending a legal notice stop the limitation period?** No. A notice or reply does not pause the limitation clock for a suit; the exception is a statutory notice such as s.80 CPC, whose notice period s.15(2) of the Limitation Act excludes when computing time. **Will my documents stay confidential?** Yes. Facts and papers shared for drafting are covered by professional confidence and used only for your matter; the conflict check compares party names without disclosing any other client's information. Matters ## Every matter, by group Each matter type with its law, forum, procedure, documents and limitation clock. [All 41 on one page →](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/) - [Notices and replies](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/notices-replies/) 13 - [Agreements — drafting and review (contracts)](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/agreements/) 10 - [Pleadings, affidavits and opinions](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/pleadings-affidavits-opinions/) 12 - [Remote drafting workflow](https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/matters/remote-workflow/) 6 Related ## Related practice areas [**Civil, property & consumer matters**Civil suits, appeals and execution, property, rent control, RERA, land-revenue writs, MACT appeals and consumer complaints in Ernakulam.](https://advaslam.com/practice/civil-consumer/) [**Business, banking & IPR**Contracts and company matters, cheque-bounce and MSME recovery, SARFAESI objections, trademarks, patents and copyright, arbitration and tax.](https://advaslam.com/practice/business-banking-ipr/) [**High Court writs & procedure**Article 226 writs, OP(C) under Article 227, writ appeals, contempt, review and caveat before the High Court of Kerala.](https://advaslam.com/practice/high-court-litigation/) Notices and replies for SARFAESI and company matters can be drafted, but appearance before the DRT, DRAT, NCLT and NCLAT is referred to counsel who practise there. About the advocate: [Adv. K J Muhammed Aslam](https://advaslam.com/profile/), enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala; office at High Court Junction, Ernakulam. General information, not legal advice. Contact [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/919497240215?text=Hello%2C%20I%20found%20advaslam.com%20and%20would%20like%20to%20discuss%20a%20matter.) [contact@advaslam.com](mailto:contact@advaslam.com) [+91 94972 40215](tel:+919497240215) 3rd Floor, Lalan Towers (KGL Builders), Vanchi Square, High Court Junction, Ernakulam, Kerala 682031 · Monday – Saturday, 10:00 – 18:30 (by appointment) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://advaslam.com/#website","url":"https://advaslam.com","name":"Adv. K J Muhammed Aslam","alternateName":"advaslam.com","publisher":{"@id":"https://advaslam.com/#person"},"inLanguage":"en-IN"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://advaslam.com/#person","name":"K J Muhammed Aslam","alternateName":["Adv. K J Muhammed Aslam","Advocate K J Muhammed Aslam","Muhammed Aslam K J","Adv. Aslam"],"honorificPrefix":"Adv.","jobTitle":"Advocate","description":"Advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala, practising from High Court Junction, Ernakulam: cyber and technology law, data protection (DPDP), business, banking and IPR, and litigation before the High Court of Kerala and the courts at Ernakulam.","url":"https://advaslam.com/profile/","image":"https://advaslam.com/og.png","telephone":"+919497240215","email":"contact@advaslam.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"3rd Floor, Lalan Towers (KGL Builders), Vanchi Square, High Court Junction","addressLocality":"Ernakulam","addressRegion":"Kerala","postalCode":"682031","addressCountry":"IN"},"alumniOf":{"@type":"CollegeOrUniversity","name":"Bharata Mata School of Legal Studies"},"memberOf":[{"@type":"Organization","name":"Bar Council of Kerala","url":"https://barcouncilkerala.org/lawyer-registry-list"},{"@type":"Organization","name":"Kerala High Court Advocates' Association","url":"https://khcaa.com/"}],"identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"Bar Council of Kerala Enrolment No.","value":"K/001823/2026"},{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"KHCAA Membership No.","value":"OAJ 358"}],"knowsAbout":["Information Technology Act 2000","Cyber crime law","Technology law and technology contracts","Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023","DPDP compliance","Data protection and privacy law","Business and commercial law","Contract drafting and negotiation","Banking and finance law","Negotiable Instruments Act cheque dishonour","SARFAESI Act","Intellectual property law","Copyright and trademark law","Patent infringement","GST and income-tax law","Blockchain and cryptocurrency technology","Web3 wallets and NFTs","Drone regulation and DigitalSky framework","Writ petitions under Article 226","Criminal law","Civil and consumer litigation","Family and succession law","Service and labour law","Legal drafting","Mediation and dispute resolution"],"knowsLanguage":["en","ml"],"workLocation":{"@id":"https://advaslam.com/#practice"},"hasCredential":[{"@type":"EducationalOccupationalCredential","credentialCategory":"Enrolment as an advocate","identifier":"K/001823/2026","recognizedBy":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Bar Council of Kerala"},"description":"Enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Kerala (K/001823/2026), 2026"},{"@type":"EducationalOccupationalCredential","credentialCategory":"degree","educationalLevel":"Bachelor","recognizedBy":{"@type":"CollegeOrUniversity","name":"Bharata Mata School of Legal Studies"},"description":"BBA LLB (Hons.), Bharata Mata School of Legal Studies (2025)"},{"@type":"EducationalOccupationalCredential","credentialCategory":"Remote Pilot Certificate","recognizedBy":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India"},"description":"DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate, issued 2022"}],"subjectOf":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Govind Babu v. State of Kerala (Crl.M.C. No. 5640 of 2026, 2026:KER:69496)","url":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/151180872/","datePublished":"2026-09-10","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"High Court of Kerala"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Viji Sagar v. State of Kerala (Crl.M.C. No. 1603 of 2026, 2026:KER:20803)","url":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/193042273/","datePublished":"2026-03-09","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"High Court of Kerala"}},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Anjana v. Manoharan A.P. (C.R.P. No. 442 of 2025, 2026:KER:10054)","url":"https://indiankanoon.org/doc/68585852/","datePublished":"2026-02-05","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"High Court of Kerala"}}],"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/azlubro","https://portal.khcaa.com/advocate?id=10480","https://lexosys.com"]},{"@type":"LegalService","@id":"https://advaslam.com/#practice","name":"Adv. K J Muhammed Aslam — Advocate, Ernakulam","url":"https://advaslam.com","image":"https://advaslam.com/og.png","telephone":"+919497240215","email":"contact@advaslam.com","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"3rd Floor, Lalan Towers (KGL Builders), Vanchi Square, High Court Junction","addressLocality":"Ernakulam","addressRegion":"Kerala","postalCode":"682031","addressCountry":"IN"},"geo":{"@type":"GeoCoordinates","latitude":9.9889,"longitude":76.2748},"hasMap":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Lalan+Towers+High+Court+Junction+Ernakulam","areaServed":[{"@type":"City","name":"Ernakulam"},{"@type":"City","name":"Kochi"},{"@type":"State","name":"Kerala"},{"@type":"Country","name":"India"}],"openingHoursSpecification":{"@type":"OpeningHoursSpecification","dayOfWeek":["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday"],"opens":"10:00","closes":"18:30"},"founder":{"@id":"https://advaslam.com/#person"},"knowsAbout":["Cyber crime and IT Act matters","Data protection and DPDP Act compliance","Business, banking, intellectual property and tax","Legal drafting","Criminal law: bail, quash and appeals","Writ petitions before the High Court of Kerala","Civil, property and consumer matters","Family and succession matters","Service and labour matters"]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://advaslam.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Practice","item":"https://advaslam.com/practice/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Legal drafting & documents","item":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/"}]},{"@type":"Service","@id":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/#service","name":"Legal drafting & documents","serviceType":"Legal drafting & documents","description":"Legal notices, agreements, pleadings, bail and quash petitions drafted in Ernakulam for Kerala courts, sent remotely in Word and PDF. Information only.","url":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/","keywords":"legal notice format Kerala, section 138 notice format, agreement drafting Kerala, leave and licence agreement Kerala, written statement format CPC, legal drafting online India","provider":{"@id":"https://advaslam.com/#practice"},"areaServed":[{"@type":"City","name":"Ernakulam"},{"@type":"State","name":"Kerala"}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/#webpage","url":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/","name":"Legal Drafting Advocate in Ernakulam, Kerala","description":"Legal notices, agreements, pleadings, bail and quash petitions drafted in Ernakulam for Kerala courts, sent remotely in Word and PDF. Information only.","dateModified":"2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z","about":{"@id":"https://advaslam.com/practice/drafting/#service"},"inLanguage":"en-IN"},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you draft for me if I live outside Kerala or outside India?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Drafting is document work: facts and papers come by email, questions are settled on a call, and the final document is delivered in Word and searchable PDF, ready for execution or filing where that applies."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"When must a cheque bounce notice be sent?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Within 30 days of receiving the bank's information that the cheque was returned unpaid, under s.138(b) of the NI Act. The drawer then has 15 days to pay, and the complaint must be filed within one month after that."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can an agreement be signed electronically in India?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, for most contracts, under ss.5 and 10A of the IT Act. The Act's First Schedule excludes documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, negotiable instruments other than cheques, and contracts for the sale of immovable property."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is a leave-and-licence agreement the same as a lease?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. A lease transfers an interest with exclusive possession while a licence is only permission to use, and substance decides rather than the label; a lease from year to year, above one year or reserving a yearly rent must be registered."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does sending a legal notice stop the limitation period?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. A notice or reply does not pause the limitation clock for a suit; the exception is a statutory notice such as s.80 CPC, whose notice period s.15(2) of the Limitation Act excludes when computing time."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Will my documents stay confidential?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Facts and papers shared for drafting are covered by professional confidence and used only for your matter; the conflict check compares party names without disclosing any other client's information."}}]}]} ```