18 April 2026 · 8 min read · By CasePilot Team

Vakalatnama Format: Complete Drafting Guide with Template

April 18, 2026 — CasePilot Team

The vakalatnama is the foundational document of every lawyer-client engagement in India. It is the written authority under which an advocate appears on behalf of a party in any court, tribunal, or quasi-judicial forum. Draft it sloppily and the court may refuse to register your appearance; draft it right and it becomes a template you can reuse — with minor modifications — across the life of your practice.

This guide covers what a vakalatnama is, what clauses it must contain, the stamp and court-fee requirements (which vary across states and courts), how to handle multi-advocate vakalatnamas, what revocation looks like, and the most common reasons courts reject vakalatnamas so you can avoid them.

What a Vakalatnama Must Contain

A vakalatnama is essentially a narrow power of attorney — granted by a party (the principal / vakil-giver) to an advocate (the vakil), authorizing the advocate to act on the party's behalf in a specific matter or range of matters.

Every properly-drafted vakalatnama must contain at minimum:

  1. Parties — full name and address of the executant (your client), and the full name and enrolment number of the advocate(s) being engaged.
  2. Scope of authority — which court, which case, whether it covers appeals and revisions. A well-drafted vakalatnama makes this specific: "before the Court of the Civil Judge, Senior Division, at Bengaluru, in O.S. No. 234/2024".
  3. Specific powers granted — to file pleadings, to lead evidence, to accept summons, to compromise, to withdraw the suit, to receive money, etc. The standard list is wide; check court rules for the court in question.
  4. Date and place of execution — where and when the principal signed.
  5. Signature of the principal — the client's signature, preferably with identifying information like their photograph (many courts require this on the face of the vakalatnama).
  6. Acceptance by the advocate — the advocate's signature accepting the engagement, with date and place.
  7. Stamp and court fee — affixed as required by the specific state and court.

Some courts also require:

  • A court-fee stamp of the value prescribed under the relevant state court-fees act.
  • A passport-size photograph of the principal pasted on the vakalatnama.
  • Endorsement by a witness or notary (required by some family-court and consumer-forum rules).

Stamp Paper and Court Fee Requirements

This is the single most frequent source of confusion — and the most common reason vakalatnamas are rejected at the filing counter.

Stamp paper. Most states require the vakalatnama to be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of a prescribed value (commonly ₹10 to ₹100 depending on the state and the nature of the matter). The prescribed value is set by the State Stamp Act; check the Schedule of the act applicable in the state where the case is filed.

Court fee. Separate from stamp duty, most courts require a court-fee stamp to be affixed on the vakalatnama. The value is set by the relevant state court-fees act and varies by court (e.g. different values for a Civil Judge vs High Court vs Supreme Court filing).

No stamp, no filing. Most filing counters will reject a vakalatnama that is under-stamped or missing the court fee. The safe pattern is to always over-stamp slightly if you are unsure; a ₹100 stamp where ₹20 was required is accepted without comment, while a ₹10 stamp where ₹20 was required is returned.

If you want the exact value for a specific court, the court's registry has a ready reckoner — or look up the state court-fees schedule, which is reproduced on most practice-management platforms.

Multi-Advocate Vakalatnamas

When a client engages more than one advocate — typical for appellate matters where the senior and junior both appear — the vakalatnama should name all advocates and, where possible, specify which one has primary conduct of the matter. Court rules vary:

  • Supreme Court — requires Advocate-on-Record to sign the vakalatnama; counsel named in addition appear only under the AoR's authority.
  • High Courts — generally accept multi-advocate vakalatnamas with all named advocates signing acceptance.
  • Subordinate courts — usually accept multi-advocate vakalatnamas freely.

A common practice: draft the vakalatnama with the senior advocate's name first, junior's name second, and a short clause indicating that the junior is authorized to act on the senior's behalf in the senior's absence.

Revoking a Vakalatnama

A client can revoke a vakalatnama at any time by filing a memo of revocation in the court where the case is pending. Usage points:

  • Revocation is effective from the date of filing, not the date of execution.
  • If the client wishes to engage a new advocate, the new advocate files a fresh vakalatnama; the court records the change.
  • The prior advocate typically files a "no objection" certificate — this is a courtesy, not strictly required, but smooths the transition.
  • If the prior advocate has a claim to fees, the revocation does not extinguish that claim; it must be pursued separately.

Advocates whose vakalatnamas are revoked unexpectedly should note the revocation date in the matter record — this prevents accidental further appearance, which can create professional-conduct issues.

The Five Most Common Reasons Vakalatnamas Get Rejected

From experience of practitioners and the common complaints of court registries:

  1. Under-stamped. The single most common issue — wrong state stamp duty or missing court fee. Always verify the local schedule before filing.
  2. Missing advocate enrolment number. Every advocate signing must list their Bar Council enrolment number; forgetting this is an easy rejection.
  3. Scope too vague. "Authorized to act in all matters" is not enough for a specific-case vakalatnama; specify the court, case number (or "to be filed"), and party role.
  4. Missing or illegible client photograph. For courts that require it (many family courts, consumer forums), the photograph must be affixed and visible.
  5. Executed on wrong stamp paper class. Non-judicial stamp paper is required in most states; judicial stamp paper is only for specific court forms.

A Reusable Template

Here is a baseline vakalatnama template that, with minor modifications, works for most courts in most states. Adjust the stamp and court-fee values for the specific state.

                              VAKALATNAMA
       IN THE COURT OF [court name] AT [place]

[Case Type] No. __________ of 20____

[PETITIONER / PLAINTIFF / APPELLANT / APPLICANT NAME]            ...   [Role]
                  VERSUS
[RESPONDENT / DEFENDANT / RESPONDENT NAME]                       ...   [Role]

I / We, [full name(s) of client(s)], son(s) / daughter(s) /
wife(s) / etc. of [parentage], resident(s) of [full address],
do hereby appoint and engage:

  Shri / Smt. [ADVOCATE NAME 1]
  Advocate, enrolment no. [BAR COUNCIL NO.]
  Address: [advocate's office address]

[Shri / Smt. ADVOCATE NAME 2, if applicable, with enrolment no. and address]

to appear, plead, file, sign, verify, and act for me / us in the
above matter, and to do all other acts necessary or incidental
thereto, including but not limited to:

  (a) to accept service of all summons, notices, and other
      processes;
  (b) to file vakalatnamas, pleadings, applications, affidavits,
      petitions, replies, rejoinders, written statements,
      memoranda of appeal or revision, and other papers;
  (c) to lead evidence, examine and cross-examine witnesses,
      argue the matter orally and in writing;
  (d) to engage additional counsel if in the interest of the
      matter;
  (e) to compromise, withdraw, settle, or refer the matter to
      arbitration or mediation, with express consent in writing;
  (f) to receive on my / our behalf any sum of money, document,
      or property decreed or ordered by the court;
  (g) to do all other acts necessary or incidental to the
      prosecution or defence of the matter.

This vakalatnama is valid for all stages of the matter, including
appeals, revisions, and execution proceedings, unless earlier
revoked in writing.

Signed at [place] on [date].

    ________________________
    Signature of Principal / Client
    (Name: [full name])
    (Photograph affixed here — if required)

Accepted:

    ________________________
    [Advocate name 1], Advocate
    Enrolment no. [bar council no.]
    Date:

[Stamp of required value]    [Court-fee stamp of required value]

This template is a starting point. CasePilot's document management includes a vakalatnama template auto-filled from client and matter data — saves the retyping, and the stamp/fee values are pulled from a per-state reckoner.

Ready to Stop Retyping Vakalatnamas?

Every new client intake should be a 2-minute workflow, not a 20-minute Word exercise. CasePilot's document templates include the vakalatnama above, auto-populated with your client and matter details — you pick the court, the template adjusts the stamp-fee guidance for that state, and you print a filing-ready document.

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Disclaimer: This post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Stamp duty and court-fee requirements vary significantly by state and by court; the template above is a reference, not a filing-ready document for any specific case. Consult the relevant state court-fees schedule and a qualified advocate before use. Content reviewed April 2026.

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