PART 1: UNJUSTIFIED CHARGES

When people visit the court for the first time to pursue their cases, they often appear confused, disturbed, and even frustrated by the complicated and exhausting procedures. Whether they are victims or the accused, both sides especially their families suffer emotionally and financially.

The next major struggle for these individuals is hiring a lawyer. Unfortunately, many lawyers show no real compassion. From the very beginning, they taught not to sympathize with clients but empathize—only to maintain a sense of professional distance. As a result, clients are treated like mere subjects (case numbers) , and lawyers focus on extracting as much money as possible from them. The clients, having no other option, are forced to suffer at the hands of these so-called professionals, who behave more like businessmen.

In my observation, many lawyers are extremely rigid about their fees. They refuse to show any flexibility and often teach their juniors a hard rule: “Always demand fees first—only then do the work. If the client doesn’t pay, walk away.” They take full advantage of the vulnerable situation of their clients. Even for writing a simple application, they charge excessive amounts—despite the fact that many don’t even write the applications themselves but simply copy drafts using AI tools.

In short, the client hires a lawyer, and that Lawyer relies on Ai technology to do the work, yet demands a high price. This deceptive practice is deeply unfair.

Sadly, because of such unethical behavior, the reputation of the legal profession is suffering. I used to defend lawyers passionately. Before entering the field, I would argue with people who called lawyers liars or shameless. But after witnessing the reality myself, I realized that what we read in books or watch in movies is far from the truth. Sometimes, I wonder how this noble profession became tainted by greed and dishonesty.

I do not intend to disrespect all lawyers. My criticism is directed at the black sheep those who wear the uniform but exploit innocent people for profit. It’s true that lawyers invest time and energy in representing clients, and they certainly deserve to earn from their efforts. But what I strongly oppose is the unjustified and excessive charges. For example, when a client needs a copy of simple court order, the process is often straightforward. A lawyer might just need to ask the record keeper for the case details, retrieve the file, and copy the last order. The actual expense involved is minimal perhaps even under a hundred rupees. Yet, many lawyers charge thousands for this service. That kind of pricing is completely unreasonable and cannot be defended.

There is much more I could say, but the focus of this blog is clear: to highlight the unjustified fees demanded by some lawyers, and the negative impact this has on the profession and the people who depend on it.