Question 1

Where is Fortis Legal Partners located?

Accepted Answer

Office No. 8, First Floor, Sandhu Plaza, 13 Fane Road, Lahore, a short walk from the Lahore High Court and the Mall Road. The firm was founded in the District Courts of Dera Ghazi Khan in 2021 and moved to Lahore in 2023.

Question 2

Which courts does the firm appear before?

Accepted Answer

The District Courts and Family Courts of Lahore, the Lahore High Court, the Revenue Courts and Board of Revenue, the Customs and Banking Tribunals, the FBR appellate forums, and the special courts: SECP, NAB accountability courts, anti-corruption courts, anti-terrorism courts and the cyber crime courts under PECA.

Question 3

Do you take cases outside Lahore?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The practice is national. Matters from Dera Ghazi Khan and south Punjab remain a regular part of the work, and the firm appears before courts and tribunals across the province and the federal forums.

Question 4

Which languages can I speak to you in?

Accepted Answer

English, Urdu, Punjabi and Saraiki. Court documents are drafted in the language the forum requires, and everything is explained to you in the language you are comfortable in.

Question 5

Will the same advocate handle my case throughout?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The advocate you meet in the first consultation drafts the pleadings, appears at the hearings and sends you the update after each one. Matters are not passed down a chain.

Question 6

How do I know what is happening in my case?

Accepted Answer

After every hearing you receive a WhatsApp message with what happened and the next date, and copies of orders as they are issued. You never have to chase.

Question 7

How do I book a consultation?

Accepted Answer

Send a short WhatsApp message to +92 3110220257 describing the matter, or call the office during working hours. Someone from the firm replies, tells you whether it is something we handle, and fixes a time at the office or over WhatsApp.

Question 8

What should I bring to the first meeting?

Accepted Answer

Whatever documents you have, in whatever state: notices, the FIR, agreements, the fard or jamabandi, court orders, your CNIC and the other side's details. We will tell you what is missing. Please do not send case documents over WhatsApp before we have spoken.

Question 9

How are fees decided?

Accepted Answer

Fees depend on the forum, the stage of the matter and the work involved, and are discussed at the first consultation and confirmed in writing before any filing. There are no surprises later in the case.

Question 10

Can a relative consult on my behalf?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for a first discussion. To file or act in court on your behalf, a power of attorney or your own signature on the vakalatnama is needed; we explain how to arrange this, including for family members abroad.

Question 11

Is my consultation confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Everything you tell the firm is privileged and stays within the office, whether or not you go on to engage us.

Question 12

Someone has occupied my property illegally. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

A suit for possession with a temporary injunction is the usual route, and where the dispossession is recent, a summary remedy under section 9 of the Specific Relief Act may be available. In some cases the Punjab Illegal Dispossession Act allows a criminal complaint as well.

Question 13

What is the limitation period for a property suit in Pakistan?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the relief. Suits for possession based on title generally have twelve years; suits to cancel a document, three years from knowledge; specific performance, three years from the date fixed for performance or refusal. Getting this wrong ends the case, so it is checked before filing.

Question 14

How do I get a succession certificate in Lahore?

Accepted Answer

For movable assets such as bank accounts and shares, a petition is filed before the civil court or, for undisputed cases, through NADRA's succession facility, with the death certificate, family registration certificate and details of the assets. Contested petitions are heard by the District Judge.

Question 15

Can I recover money on an agreement that was only verbal?

Accepted Answer

Often yes, if there is evidence of the transaction: bank transfers, messages, witnesses, receipts. Verbal agreements are enforceable but harder to prove, and the evidence has to be gathered before the suit is filed.

Question 16

The police are refusing to register my FIR. What are my options?

Accepted Answer

A petition under section 22-A/B Cr.P.C. can be filed before the Justice of Peace (the Sessions Judge) directing the police to record the FIR, or a private complaint can be filed directly before the Magistrate under section 200 Cr.P.C.

Question 17

What happens at a bail hearing?

Accepted Answer

The court hears the accused's counsel and the prosecution, reads the FIR and the police record, and decides whether the offence falls within the prohibitory clause and whether there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused is guilty. Bail is granted against surety bonds, which we help arrange.

Question 18

Can a criminal case be settled through compromise?

Accepted Answer

Many offences are compoundable with the permission of the court, including most hurt offences and cheque-dishonour cases. Non-compoundable offences cannot be settled privately, though a compromise may still affect sentencing.

Question 19

How long does a criminal trial take in Lahore?

Accepted Answer

Magistrate trials often conclude within a year; Sessions trials for serious offences commonly take one to three years depending on the number of witnesses. Bail is usually decided within days to weeks of filing.

Question 20

What is the procedure for khula in Pakistan?

Accepted Answer

A suit for dissolution of marriage by khula is filed in the Family Court where the wife resides. The court issues notice to the husband, attempts reconciliation, and if it fails, passes a decree, usually on return of the dower received. The decree is then sent to the Union Council for the iddat period and certificate.

Question 21

How much maintenance can a wife or child claim?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed table. The court fixes maintenance according to the husband's income and status and the reasonable needs of the wife and children, with an annual increase commonly ordered. Past maintenance can also be claimed for the period it was not paid.

Question 22

Can a father get custody of his children?

Accepted Answer

Yes, where the child's welfare requires it, and in any case the father is entitled to a visitation schedule. Custody decisions turn on the child's age, wellbeing and circumstances rather than on a fixed rule, and can be revisited as the child grows.

Question 23

How do I recover my dowry articles?

Accepted Answer

A suit for recovery of dowry articles or their value is filed in the Family Court, supported by the list of articles, receipts, photographs and witnesses. It is commonly joined with the khula, dower and maintenance claims in one suit.

Question 24

How long does a mutation take in Punjab?

Accepted Answer

An uncontested sale mutation at an Arazi Record Centre can be attested within days once the registered deed and documents are in order. Inheritance mutations require the legal-heir certificate and notice to all heirs, and take longer; contested mutations go through a hearing.

Question 25

What is the difference between a fard and a registry?

Accepted Answer

A registry (registered sale deed) is the document of transfer executed before the Sub-Registrar. The fard is the extract from the revenue record showing who is recorded as owner. A registry without a mutation leaves the fard unchanged; both are needed for a clean title.

Question 26

Can daughters be excluded from inheritance of agricultural land?

Accepted Answer

No. Daughters inherit their Sharia share in all property, including agricultural land, and a mutation that excludes them can be challenged. Act promptly, though: the Supreme Court has held that the heirs of a woman who never claimed her share in her lifetime may not be able to revive the claim later.

Question 27

Do I have to reply to an FBR notice if I am not a filer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ignoring a notice under section 114 or 121 leads to a best-judgement assessment and penalties, and the amount assessed can be recovered from your bank. A reply, and where appropriate a return, is almost always the cheaper course.

Question 28

Customs has issued a show-cause notice for my imported goods. What now?

Accepted Answer

Reply within the time stated with the import documents, proof of payment and the basis of your valuation or classification, and appear at the hearing. In clearance disputes the goods can sometimes be released provisionally while the case is decided; where a valuation ruling or an import restriction applies, that route may not be open.

Question 29

Can I appeal an FBR order without paying the tax first?

Accepted Answer

An appeal can be filed, but recovery is not automatically stayed. A stay application is made to the appellate forum, and in urgent cases to the High Court, to prevent attachment while the appeal is pending.

Question 30

What evidence do I need for a cyber crime complaint (FIA / NCCIA)?

Accepted Answer

Screenshots that show the URL, account name and date; the profile links; any phone numbers or emails used; transaction records for fraud; and a copy of your CNIC. Keep the original messages on your device. The investigating agency, now the NCCIA, obtains account and IP records itself once the inquiry starts.

Question 31

I have been called in a PECA inquiry by the NCCIA (formerly the FIA Cyber Crime Wing). Should I go alone?

Accepted Answer

Go with counsel. What you say and produce at the inquiry becomes the record. You have the right to be represented, and in many cases a written reply with the relevant evidence resolves the inquiry without a case being registered.

Question 32

What is a writ petition and when is it used?

Accepted Answer

A petition under Article 199 of the Constitution asking the Lahore High Court to direct a government authority to act lawfully, or to refrain from acting unlawfully, where no other adequate remedy exists. It is used against departments, revenue officers, universities, regulators and, in some cases, lower courts.

Question 33

What is the difference between an appeal and a revision?

Accepted Answer

An appeal re-examines the facts and the law of a decision and is available as of right where the statute provides it. A revision is a narrower remedy in which the higher court checks whether the lower court acted within its jurisdiction and without material irregularity.

Question 34

Why do cases get adjourned so often?

Accepted Answer

Court workload, absent witnesses, strikes and counsel seeking time all contribute. We do not seek adjournments for our own convenience, come prepared on every date, and tell you honestly when a delay is outside anyone's control.

Question 35

How do I choose the right lawyer in Lahore for my case?

Accepted Answer

Check the advocate's bar council enrolment and the courts they actually appear before, ask who will personally handle the file, and expect a frank opinion on the merits before any fee is agreed. An advocate who promises an outcome is one to be careful of.

Questions clients ask before they call