Commercial Disputes & RecoveryDelhi courts
Commercial Dispute Lawyer in Delhi
Manuja Law Partners acts as commercial dispute lawyers in Delhi for money recovery, breach of contract, partnership and business disagreements, summary suits, arbitration-related applications and cheque bounce cases, appearing before Delhi's commercial courts and the Delhi High Court. We are a litigation firm and do not handle mergers, funding or trademark registration.
In short
A commercial dispute lawyer in Delhi represents a business or an individual in a money or contract dispute with another business: unpaid invoices, a breached supply or service contract, a failed partnership, a dishonoured cheque or an arbitration clause that has been invoked. Most such disputes are filed as commercial suits under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, usually after a mandatory attempt at pre-institution mediation, before the commercial court at the district complex or, for suits above two crore rupees, the Commercial Division of the Delhi High Court. Manuja Law Partners handles these as litigation and can tell you at the first meeting which route fits your contract and how long it commonly takes.
Commercial dispute lawyers in Delhi: what we do
We act for businesses, professionals and individuals who are owed money or are being pursued for it, or who are in a contract or partnership dispute with another business. Matters reach us in a few common ways: an invoice that remains unpaid after repeated reminders, a supplier or customer who has breached a contract, a cheque that has bounced, a partner who has stopped sharing accounts, or an arbitration clause that one side has invoked.
We are a litigation firm. We appear before the district commercial courts and civil courts, the Delhi High Court and, where a contract calls for it, arbitral tribunals and the courts that supervise them. We do not handle transactions such as mergers or funding rounds, and we do not do trademark registration.
The commercial courts route
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 sets up special courts and a faster procedure for disputes of a specified value of three lakh rupees or more that fall within its definition of a commercial dispute. In Delhi, suits above two crore rupees are heard by the Commercial Division of the Delhi High Court, and the rest by the commercial courts at the district complexes.
Three features of this route shape every case:
- Pre-institution mediation. Section 12A requires an attempt at mediation before filing, unless urgent interim relief is sought. The Supreme Court held the requirement mandatory in Patil Automation v. Rakheja Engineers (2022).
- Short pleading deadlines. A defendant has thirty days to file a written statement, extendable to 120 days at most. SCG Contracts India v. K.S. Chamankar Infrastructure (2019) holds that the right is lost after that.
- Case management. The court fixes a timetable for documents, admissions, issues and evidence, and expects parties to keep to it.
We prepare the plaint, the statement of truth, the document list and the mediation record together, so the filing is complete the first time.
Recovery of money: notice, suit or summary suit
A money claim usually begins with a legal notice that sets out the debt, the contract and a short deadline. Our guide to the legal notice format explains what a notice should contain. If the debt is not paid, the choices are:
- A commercial suit, for any contract dispute, with interest and costs.
- A summary suit under Order 37 of the Code of Civil Procedure, where the claim rests on a written contract, a bill of exchange, a promissory note or a cheque. The defendant must apply for leave to defend within ten days of service, and a decree can follow without a full trial if there is no real defence.
- A cheque bounce complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, where a cheque was dishonoured. The sequence of the 30-day and 15-day periods is set out in our guide to the cheque bounce notice and the 15-day window, and a case can later be settled, as explained in our note on compounding under Section 147.
The limitation period for a money claim is generally three years from the date the payment fell due. A written acknowledgment signed before it ends can extend it under Section 18 of the Limitation Act, 1963.
Arbitration and contracts with an arbitration clause
Many commercial contracts send disputes to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. If the clause covers the dispute, a civil court will refer the parties to arbitration on request. The usual court applications are:
- Section 9, for interim protection such as securing the disputed amount before the tribunal decides.
- Section 11, to ask the High Court to appoint an arbitrator when the parties cannot agree on one.
- Section 34, to challenge an award, which must be filed within three months of receiving it, with a further thirty days only if the court finds sufficient cause.
- Section 36, to enforce an award as a decree.
See also our page on arbitration matters.
Partnership and business disputes
Disputes between partners, or between a business and a former associate, are usually about accounts, exit and the right to carry on the business. Under Section 69 of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 an unregistered firm cannot sue third parties on a contract, which makes registration an early question. A dissolution suit with a claim for rendition of accounts, or a reference to arbitration under the partnership deed, are the common routes. We read the deed and the books before advising which.
Small and micro suppliers
If you supplied goods or services to a business and you are a micro or small enterprise, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 can give you a statutory payment deadline and a reference route that runs alongside, or instead of, a civil suit. Whether it applies depends on your registration and the dates, and we check that at the first meeting.
How a commercial case moves
- First consultation. We read the contract, invoices and correspondence, and identify the claim, the forum and the limitation position.
- Legal notice, with a deadline for payment.
- Pre-institution mediation, unless urgent relief is needed.
- Plaint or summary suit, filed with the documents and, where useful, an application for interim relief.
- Written statement, admission and denial of documents, issues.
- Evidence and arguments, then judgment.
- Execution, under Order 21 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to recover what is decreed.
Many commercial disputes settle at mediation or after an interim order, and we keep that route open throughout.
Realistic timelines
- Legal notice to mediation: a few weeks.
- Summary suit where leave to defend is refused: often some months.
- Contested commercial suit to judgment: commonly a few years.
- Execution of a decree: additional months to years, depending on whether assets can be traced.
These are ranges, not promises. They depend on the court’s workload, the conduct of the other side and how much is disputed.
What to bring
Bring the signed contract or purchase orders, invoices, delivery or service records, account statements and ledger confirmations, emails and messages about the debt, any dishonoured cheques with bank memos, any arbitration clause, and details of the other party. Incomplete papers are still useful, since part of our work is finding what is missing.
Talk to us
The first step is a consultation. Call 99115 44811 or write to manujalawyers@gmail.com with a short note on the contract and the amount involved. Our principal chamber is at S-307, 3rd Floor, Delhi High Court, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi 110003, with a chamber at Saket in the Lawyers Block and offices at the Dwarka District Court and at Pitampura, opposite Rohini Court. Consultations are arranged in advance and can be by phone or video.
This page gives general information about the law as it stands and is not advice on your particular case. It does not promise any outcome, since every matter turns on its own facts.
A commercial matter in Delhi?
Tell us what has happened. We will confirm the court, the deadlines already running and the next step.
Why instruct this chamber
Acting for you in Delhi
The contract first, then the forum
Commercial cases turn on the written contract, the invoices, the correspondence and the payment trail. We read these before advising, so the choice between a commercial suit, a summary suit, arbitration or a cheque bounce complaint rests on what your documents show.
Limitation and mediation checked at the start
A money claim generally runs on a three-year clock, and a commercial suit usually needs pre-institution mediation first. We identify both on day one, because a missed limitation period cannot be revived and a suit filed without mediation can be rejected.
Recovery routes compared honestly
The same unpaid debt may support a legal notice, a cheque bounce complaint, a summary suit and an arbitration claim. We compare them for speed, cost and risk, and say plainly where a claim is weak or the debt is unlikely to be recovered.
Litigation, not transactions
We are a litigation firm. We do not handle mergers, funding rounds or trademark registration, and we say so at the first call rather than take on work that belongs elsewhere.
Appearances across Delhi and NCR courts
We appear before the district courts at Saket, Dwarka, Tis Hazari, Rohini, Patiala House, Rouse Avenue and Karkardooma, before the Delhi High Court, and at the district courts of Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
Clear stages, realistic timelines
We explain the stages from notice to execution, give timelines as ranges, and promise careful work and regular updates, not a particular result. No lawyer can promise one.
Common questions
Commercial questions — Delhi
What is a commercial dispute under Indian law?
A commercial dispute is one that falls within Section 2(1)(c) of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, which covers disputes arising from ordinary transactions of merchants, bankers and traders, joint ventures and partnership agreements, supply of goods or services, agency, franchise and distribution agreements, and agreements for immovable property used exclusively in trade or commerce. The suit must also meet the specified value of three lakh rupees.
Which court hears a commercial suit in Delhi?
Suits of a specified value above two crore rupees go to the Commercial Division of the Delhi High Court, and those between three lakh and two crore rupees go to the commercial courts at the district complexes. The district commercial court with territorial jurisdiction is chosen by where the defendant resides or carries on business or where the cause of action arose.
Is mediation compulsory before filing a commercial suit?
Yes, unless the suit contemplates urgent interim relief. Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act requires pre-institution mediation, and in Patil Automation v. Rakheja Engineers (2022) the Supreme Court held the requirement mandatory for suits filed from 20 August 2022. A suit filed without it, where no urgent relief is sought, can be rejected.
How long do I have to file a suit to recover money in Delhi?
Three years in most cases, under the Limitation Act, 1963, counted from the date the payment fell due. A written acknowledgment of the debt signed before that period ends can start a fresh period under Section 18 of the Act, so keep every email, ledger confirmation and part-payment record.
What is a summary suit under Order 37 of the Code of Civil Procedure?
A summary suit is a faster route for debts based on a written contract, a bill of exchange, a promissory note or a cheque, in which the defendant must apply for leave to defend within ten days of service. If the court finds no real defence it passes a decree without a full trial. It suits clean documentary claims, not disputed facts.
Should I file a cheque bounce complaint or a recovery suit?
They are separate remedies and can run together. A complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 is a criminal proceeding, begun by a notice within 30 days of the dishonour memo, that pressures payment and can lead to a fine. A suit recovers the debt with interest as a civil decree. We compare them against your papers.
What happens if my contract has an arbitration clause?
Disputes covered by the clause go to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, not to a civil court, and a court will refer parties to arbitration if asked. Where the other side will not agree on an arbitrator, an application under Section 11 asks the High Court to appoint one, and Section 9 allows interim protection from a court.
How long do I have to challenge an arbitral award?
Three months from the date the award is received, extendable by a further thirty days at most if the court finds sufficient cause, under Section 34(3) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The court cannot condone delay beyond that, so the date of receipt must be recorded carefully.
How long does a defendant get to file a written statement in a commercial suit?
Thirty days from service of summons, extendable by the court up to a maximum of 120 days. In SCG Contracts India v. K.S. Chamankar Infrastructure (2019) the Supreme Court held that the right to file after 120 days is forfeited. Deadlines in commercial suits are stricter than in ordinary civil suits.
Can I recover an unpaid invoice from a small business that owes me money?
Yes, through a legal notice, then a recovery suit or summary suit, and a cheque bounce complaint if a cheque was issued and dishonoured. If the buyer is a micro or small enterprise and you are the supplier, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 also sets a payment deadline and a reference route for the supplier. We check which applies.
Can I sue a partner or a partnership firm for money in Delhi?
Yes, but under Section 69 of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 an unregistered firm and its partners cannot sue third parties on a contract, though a partner may still seek dissolution and accounts. Disputes between partners are often filed as suits for dissolution and rendition of accounts, or referred to arbitration if the partnership deed has a clause.
Does the court award interest on a commercial debt?
It can. Section 34 of the Code of Civil Procedure allows interest for the pre-suit period, during the suit and after the decree, at the contractual rate or at the rate the court finds reasonable. Where the contract fixes a rate, we plead it, and the claim should be calculated in the plaint.
How long does a commercial suit take in Delhi?
A commercial suit is meant to move faster than an ordinary civil suit, but a contested one commonly takes a few years to judgment, and a summary suit with no leave to defend can end in months. An interim order for security or injunction is usually decided within weeks. These are ranges, not promises.
Can you act for me in an insolvency or company-law proceeding?
Yes, where it is litigation. We act in insolvency applications and company petitions before the NCLT and in appeals to the NCLAT, as well as in the civil and commercial courts and the High Court. We do not handle transactions, funding, mergers or trademark registration, and if your matter is non-litigation work we say so at the first call.
Speak to the chamber
Request a consultation
Describe your matter in a few lines and we will respond with the next step, the court it would be filed in, and what papers to bring.
- Telephone99115 44811
- Emailmanujalawyers@gmail.com
- ChamberChamber S-307, 3rd Floor, Delhi High Court, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi – 110003
- HoursMon–Sat, 9:30 am – 6:30 pm
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