A reminder over WhatsApp is easy to ignore. A formal notice, on record and with proof of delivery, is not. For businesses and individuals looking for the best legal notice services in Delhi, the question is usually how to make a demand properly: with the right facts, the right deadlines and a record that stands up if the dispute continues.
This page explains what a legal notice is, when the law requires one, the clocks that run for cheque dishonour and suits against the government, the kinds of notices we support, the facts and documents you need to share, how drafting and dispatch work, and what it costs. It also explains where drafting support ends and where an advocate must step in.
The legal points below were checked against the Negotiable Instruments Act, the Code of Civil Procedure and reputable legal sources in October 2026. They are general information and not legal advice. PC Media House is a drafting and dispatch support service, not a law firm.
What a legal notice is, and what it can and cannot do
A legal notice is a formal written communication that tells a person or organisation what you claim, what you want them to do and by when, and what you may do if they do not respond. It is not filed with a court or any authority. It is a private document that becomes important if the matter goes further.
Used well, a notice does three things. It puts your version of events on record in an orderly way. It gives the other side a fair period to pay, perform or reply. And it preserves evidence of both the demand and its delivery.
What a notice cannot do
- It cannot force payment or promise an outcome, because it is a communication and not an order.
- It does not, by itself, stop the limitation period from running, except in the specific cases where the law requires a notice before suing.
- It cannot fix a weak claim. If the facts or documents are thin, a notice may only warn the other side early.
- It should not include threats, abuse or allegations you cannot support, since these can be used against you later.
Notices sit alongside other legal documents. For the agreements that usually sit behind a dispute, see our legal drafting services, and for a wider view of the practice area, our page on legal and IPR services.
When the law requires a notice, and the clocks that run
For most civil disputes, the law does not require a notice before you sue, but sending one is still common practice. Two cases are different, because the law requires the notice and attaches fixed periods to it.
Cheque dishonour under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act
A cheque dishonoured for insufficiency of funds, or because it exceeds the arrangement with the bank, can be a criminal offence under Section 138, if the cheque was issued for a legally enforceable debt or liability and was presented within its validity. Banks treat cheques as valid for three months from the date of issue, following the RBI revision of April 2012. Before a complaint can be filed, the payee or holder in due course must follow a sequence.
| Stage | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cheque presented and dishonoured | Within the cheque's validity period | The bank return memo states the reason and the date. |
| Written demand notice to the drawer | Within 30 days of receiving the bank's information of dishonour | The notice should state the cheque details, the amount and a demand for payment. |
| Payment by the drawer | Within 15 days of receiving the notice | If paid, the matter generally ends. |
| Complaint to the court | Within one month after the 15-day period ends | A court may take up a late complaint if sufficient cause is shown. |
| Penalty on conviction | Imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine up to twice the cheque amount, or both | Set by the Act. Courts decide each case. |
The Act requires a notice in writing. It does not say the notice must come from an advocate, but the content decides whether a complaint survives, so an advocate's review is strongly advisable.
Suppose a supplier receives a bank memo on 10 March. The demand notice would have to go within 30 days, that is by about 9 April. If the drawer received the notice on 12 April, payment would be due around 27 April, and a complaint would follow within about a month from there. Your advocate will compute the exact dates for your case, which depend on the date of receipt.
Suits against the government under Section 80 of the CPC
Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure generally prevents a suit against the government or a public officer for an official act until two months after a written notice is delivered to, or left at the office of, the authority the section names. The notice must state the sender's name, description and residence, the cause of action and the relief claimed. In urgent cases, the court's leave can be sought to file without waiting, although it will not grant interim relief without letting the government show cause. A suit is not to be dismissed merely for a defect in the notice if the required details were properly given.
Because these notices carry consequences, a notice for either purpose should be drafted with an advocate's involvement. We prepare the working draft and dispatch it, but your advocate settles the text.
Types of notices we support
Our drafting support covers the notices that businesses and individuals send most often. For each, we begin with the facts and documents you hold.
- Recovery and payment demand notices for unpaid invoices, supplied goods or services and defaulted loans between private parties.
- Cheque dishonour demand notices that follow the statutory sequence discussed above.
- Breach of contract notices that set out the obligation, the default and a period to cure it.
- Tenant and landlord notices, such as rent default or notice to vacate, drafted with the tenancy terms and the applicable law in mind.
- Employment-related notices such as show cause or termination letters, drafted to record facts neutrally.
- Cease-and-desist letters for brand, copyright or content misuse, settled with your advocate before dispatch.
- Replies to notices you have received, prepared within the time the notice gives.
Intellectual property letters often follow a watch or a registration. If you are protecting a brand, our trademark renewal and IP watch service explains how conflicting marks come to light, and our trademark registration page explains how the mark itself is secured.
Not every dispute needs the same tone. A notice to a long-standing customer who has simply delayed payment can be firm but courteous, while a notice to someone who has denied the debt may need a fuller recital of facts and documents. During the call, we ask how you would like the relationship to look after the notice, and the draft follows that. A notice that leaves the door open to settlement often reads as more credible than one that closes every option.
Facts and documents to share before drafting
We do not draft until the facts are clear. A fifteen-minute call and a short folder of documents are usually enough for a first draft.
| Type of notice | What to share | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery or payment | Agreement or purchase order, invoices, delivery proof, statement of account, earlier reminders | Proves the debt and the amount claimed |
| Cheque dishonour | Cheque copy, bank return memo, date of receiving the bank's information, proof of the underlying debt | Decides the statutory dates and the content of the notice |
| Tenant or landlord | Rent agreement, rent receipts, previous messages, rent amount and dates | Frames the default and the applicable procedure |
| Employment | Offer or appointment letter, policies, warnings given, relevant emails | Records the facts neutrally and consistently |
| Reply to a notice | The notice, the envelope or tracking showing the date of receipt, your documents | Determines the reply deadline and the points to answer |
Always keep originals safely. Share clear copies with us and keep the originals for your advocate.
Check the recipient's address carefully. A notice sent to the wrong address is easy to challenge later, and a registered office, residence or the address in the contract may each be relevant.
How drafting and dispatch work, step by step
Step 1: Fact-finding call
We ask what happened, when and in what form, what you want and what documents you hold.
Step 2: Documents and quote
You share the documents. We confirm the type of notice and the fee, starting at ₹1,999.
Step 3: Draft notice
We prepare the notice with facts in order, a clear demand and a response period. For statutory notices, the time limits are noted.
Step 4: Your review
You verify every fact, name, address and amount. Where required or advisable, your advocate reviews and settles it.
Step 5: Dispatch
The signed notice is sent by registered post and by email, and you receive the receipt and confirmation.
Step 6: Tracking and proof file
We track delivery, save the tracking record and acknowledgement and give you the file with the key dates marked.
Most notices are ready for dispatch within one to two working days of facts being confirmed. If a statutory deadline is near, tell us at the first call so that we can prioritise it.
Why we send two ways
Registered post gives a receipt and a tracking record, and the acknowledgement can show who received it. Email adds a timestamped copy that reaches the recipient quickly. Neither alone is perfect, and courts weigh proof case by case. Together they make the story easier to show.
What a legal notice costs
There is no government fee for sending a legal notice. The costs below are the ones to plan for.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee for sending a notice | No government fee | A notice is not filed with any authority. |
| Postal charges | At India Post tariff | Charged by weight and add-ons. Extra courier or speed post is shown in the quote. |
| Court fee, if a case follows | Set by court fee law | Payable only if a suit or complaint is filed through your advocate. |
| Advocate fee, where engaged | As agreed with the advocate | Needed where the law or the stakes require it. |
| PC Media House professional fee | From ₹1,999 | Fact intake, drafting, your review, dispatch by registered post and email, and delivery tracking. |
We confirm the final fee in writing before we draft.
Our starting fee is ₹1,999. A simple payment demand to one recipient sits at the lighter end of the scope. Notices with several recipients, many documents or a point-by-point reply to a long notice need more reading and drafting, and the quote reflects that. If your advocate reviews the draft, allow a round for it.
What shapes the quote
- The type of notice and the number of recipients
- The volume of documents we must read and summarise
- Whether a reply to a long notice is required
- Whether your advocate will review the draft
- Any extra courier or speed post charges
Informal message, self-written letter or a drafted notice
A quick message is often the right first step in a friendly dispute. A formal notice makes sense when the relationship has frayed, the money is meaningful or the law needs it. The table shows the difference.
| Point | Message or self-written letter | Drafted and dispatched with PC Media House |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Informal, facts out of order | Facts in sequence, a clear demand and response period |
| Statutory content | May miss amounts, dates or periods | Time limits are listed, and your advocate can settle the text |
| Proof of delivery | Chat tick or courier slip | Postal receipt, tracking record and email log in one file |
| Speed | Immediate, but easy to dispute later | Usually 1 to 2 working days after facts are confirmed |
| Advocate involvement | None | Built in where the law or stakes call for it |
| Cost | Free | From ₹1,999 |
A notice records your position and starts a response period. It cannot promise a result.
If the matter is small and the other side is reasonable, a polite written reminder may be enough. If a limit is approaching, the amount is large, or the relationship has broken down, a formal notice usually serves you better.
Common mistakes that weaken a notice
- Missing the 30-day window for a cheque dishonour notice, or sending it with the wrong cheque number, date or amount.
- Using abusive language, threats of criminal action in a purely civil dispute, or allegations that cannot be proved.
- Sending only by email, or to an old address, so that proof of delivery is weak.
- Treating a notice as if it extends limitation, when it generally does not.
- Ignoring a notice received and losing the chance to record your side within the time stated.
- Contradicting your own earlier emails or invoices in the notice, which the other side will point out.
Most of these are avoided by writing the facts plainly, checking dates against documents and keeping the tone calm. A notice that is factual and firm reads as more serious than one that is angry.
After the notice goes out, limitation, and how we work
Once the notice is delivered, diarise the response date and decide with your advocate what happens next. The Limitation Act, 1963 bars suits filed after the prescribed period, and a notice does not generally pause that clock except where the law requires notice before suing. A written acknowledgement of liability signed by the other side, or a part payment, can start a fresh period. Money claims generally have a limitation period measured in years, but the exact period depends on the kind of claim, so ask your advocate about yours.
Many notices end in a settlement. Others end in a plaint or complaint, which an advocate must prepare and file. For related compliance on the business side, see our work on GST registration and filing and ROC annual compliance, since missed filings often become part of disputes.
How we work
- Work is handled online from Delhi for clients across Delhi NCR and India, with calls as the main channel and meetings only by appointment.
- You receive a written quote before drafting, with a starting fee of ₹1,999.
- We provide drafting support and dispatch. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice and we do not appear in court.
- Where the law requires an advocate, or the notice may lead to criminal proceedings or a significant claim, we work with your advocate and hand over a clean draft and the proof file.
- We never promise payment, a settlement or any outcome.
If you have a deadline in view, tell us on the first call. You can reach us through the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
PC Media House's professional fee starts from ₹1,999 and covers fact intake, drafting, your review, dispatch by registered post and email, and delivery tracking. The final quote is confirmed in writing before drafting. Postal charges follow India Post tariff, and any advocate involvement, court fees or later proceedings are separate and paid directly.
Not always. It is required before a cheque dishonour complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and before most suits against the government under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure. For many other claims the law does not require one, though a notice is a common first step to record the demand.
The payee or holder must send a written demand within 30 days of receiving the bank's information of dishonour. The drawer then has 15 days from receiving the notice to pay. If payment is not made, a complaint is generally filed within one month after that period. Your advocate should calculate the exact dates for your case.
Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure requires a written notice to the government or a public officer before suing over an official act. The suit generally cannot be filed until two months after the notice is delivered. The notice must state the sender's details, the cause of action and the relief claimed. Urgent cases can seek the court's leave.
Generally no. A notice by itself does not stop the clock for filing a suit, except where the law requires a notice before suing, in which case the notice period may be excluded. A written acknowledgement of the debt signed by the other side, or a part payment, can start a fresh period. Ask your advocate about your claim's deadline.
We send it by registered post and by email. You receive the postal receipt and the email confirmation, and we track the delivery and collect the tracking record and acknowledgement. Together these form your proof-of-service file. Courts decide the weight of proof in each case, so we advise keeping every original receipt and record.
Yes. We read the notice, list the claims, check them against your documents and prepare a reply within the period the notice gives. Please share the notice promptly, with the envelope or tracking details. If the claim is large or may lead to criminal proceedings, your advocate should review and sign off the reply.
We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice. We provide drafting support and dispatch. Where the law requires an advocate, or where the notice may lead to a criminal complaint or a significant claim, a notice should be drafted with an advocate's involvement. We work with yours and hand over a clean working draft.
If the response period ends without payment or reply, the next step depends on the matter, such as a civil suit, a criminal complaint, a mediation or settlement discussion. That decision should be taken with an advocate, who will also check limitation and jurisdiction. We hand over the notice, proof file and date sheet to make the next step faster.
Most notices are ready for dispatch within one to two working days after the facts and documents are confirmed. Complex disputes with many documents, or notices that need your advocate's review, take longer. Statutory notices must also meet fixed time limits, so please contact us as soon as you have the bank memo or the demand deadline in view.
Sources and Official Links
Facts on this page were checked against the sources below, last reviewed on 7 October 2026. Fees, thresholds and rules can change, so confirm the current position on the official site before you pay or file.