There is no government fee or stamp duty for sending a legal notice in India. The cost is the advocate’s professional fee, which varies by city, lawyer and complexity, plus postage or courier charges. Nothing in law requires a lawyer to send a notice, so a notice drafted and sent by the party costs only delivery charges, though a notice on an advocate’s letterhead usually carries more weight.
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
Section 138 proviso (b)Demand notice must be given in writing by the payee within 30 days of receiving information of dishonour; no prescribed fee or format.
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
Section 80A notice to the government or a public officer is required before suing, with a two-month waiting period.
Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017
Notification 13/2017-Central Tax (Rate), entry 2Certain legal services by advocates to business entities are taxed on a reverse-charge basis; check applicability for your case.
No. A legal notice is a private written communication, not a filing with a court or authority, so there is no court fee or stamp duty for sending it. Court fees arise only if the dispute later goes to court. The money you spend is professional fees and delivery.
Advocates set their own fees, so quotes differ widely. The main factors are the lawyer’s experience, the city, how complex the dispute is, how many parties must be served, and whether you also want a reply drafted or follow-up work. GST may apply to legal services depending on who supplies and who receives them, so ask for the fee to be quoted inclusive or exclusive of tax. Our GST on legal services calculator helps you check.
Not legally. A party can draft and send their own notice, including a demand notice under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, as long as it is in writing, states the demand and is sent within the statutory time. A lawyer’s notice tends to be taken more seriously and is better drafted, which matters where the notice will later be used as evidence.
Notices are typically sent by post with proof of delivery, and often also by email. India Post merged Registered Post into Speed Post with effect from 1 September 2025, with proof of delivery and acknowledgement now arranged within Speed Post, so check the current charges at your post office. Courier services with tracking are an alternative. Keep the receipt, tracking report and acknowledgement, since they prove service.
Yes. The law does not require an advocate to send a notice. It must be clear, factual and delivered in a way you can prove, and a lawyer’s review is advisable for high-value or contested claims.
No. A legal notice is not an instrument that attracts stamp duty, and it is sent on plain paper or letterhead.
Email can be effective and is widely used alongside post, but safest practice is to send by trackable post as well. See our guide on service by WhatsApp and email.
Use a structured template for a routine demand, send by tracked post and email, and involve a lawyer only if the notice is disputed. CaseDocker’s notice generator drafts the notice and tracks replies and deadlines.
CaseDocker keeps contracts, signatures, stamp papers, notices and compliance deadlines in one place, with reminders before anything lapses.
