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Plain-language walkthroughs of the legal problems people in Pakistan actually face — the steps, the documents, and the kind of lawyer you need.
Common legal situations
12 guides
Criminal & FIRHow to get an FIR registeredWhat to do at the police station, and your options if the SHO refuses to register your complaint.
Step by step
- 1Go to the police station in whose jurisdiction the incident took place and give a written application stating what happened, when, and who was involved.
- 2Ask for a free copy of the FIR — you are entitled to one once it is registered.
- 3If the SHO refuses, submit a written complaint to the DPO/SSP of the district.
- 4If it is still not registered, a lawyer can move an application before the Justice of Peace (Sessions Court) directing the police to register it.
Documents to keep ready
- Your CNIC
- A written application describing the incident
- Any evidence you already have — photos, messages, medical report, witness details
Criminal & FIRArrest and bail — what happens firstThe immediate steps after an arrest, and the difference between pre-arrest and post-arrest bail.
Step by step
- 1Note the FIR number, police station and the sections applied — everything else depends on these.
- 2The accused must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest.
- 3Pre-arrest (interim) bail is applied for before arrest; post-arrest bail after. A lawyer files this in the relevant court.
- 4Arrange sureties and their documents in advance — delays here keep people in custody longer than the order requires.
Documents to keep ready
- Copy of the FIR
- CNIC of the accused and of the sureties
- Any medical or documentary proof relevant to the allegation
FamilyKhula and divorce — the processHow a marriage is legally dissolved, and why the Union Council step matters more than people expect.
Step by step
- 1Divorce (talaq) is pronounced and written notice is sent to the Chairman of the Union Council; khula is filed as a suit in the Family Court.
- 2The Union Council forms an arbitration council and attempts reconciliation.
- 3If reconciliation fails, the divorce becomes effective after the statutory period from the date the notice was received.
- 4Collect the divorce certificate from the Union Council — without it, remarriage and NADRA record updates get stuck.
Documents to keep ready
- Nikahnama
- CNICs of both parties
- Union Council notice / court filing
- Children's B-Forms, if custody or maintenance is involved
FamilyChild custody and maintenanceWhich court decides, and what it actually looks at when parents disagree.
Step by step
- 1Custody and maintenance are decided by the Family Court / Guardian Court where the child ordinarily resides.
- 2The court's guiding test is the welfare of the minor — not the preference of either parent on its own.
- 3Maintenance can be claimed alongside custody; the court can fix an amount and an annual increase.
- 4Visitation schedules are ordered in writing — keep a record of every handover.
Documents to keep ready
- Child's B-Form or birth certificate
- Nikahnama and divorce certificate, if any
- Proof of the other parent's income, if claiming maintenance
- School and medical records of the child
FamilyInheritance and succession certificatesHow heirs get legal authority over a deceased person's property, bank accounts and shares.
Step by step
- 1For bank accounts, shares and other movable assets, apply to NADRA for a Succession Certificate — this is now the fast route.
- 2For immovable property, mutation (intiqal) is recorded with the revenue authority in the heirs' names.
- 3If any heir disputes the shares, the matter goes to the civil court instead.
- 4Get the shares calculated correctly before filing — corrections afterwards are slow.
Documents to keep ready
- Death certificate (NADRA)
- CNICs of all legal heirs
- Property fard / registry, bank account details
- Family Registration Certificate (FRC)
Property & RentBuying property without getting cheatedThe verification steps that prevent the most common property frauds.
Step by step
- 1Get a fresh fard (record of rights) and verify the seller's title and the property's exact boundaries.
- 2Check for encumbrances — mortgages, litigation, attachment orders, or an existing agreement to sell.
- 3Confirm approval status with the relevant development authority; unapproved schemes are the single biggest source of loss.
- 4Execute a written sale agreement, pay stamp duty, and register the sale deed with the Sub-Registrar.
Documents to keep ready
- Fard / record of rights
- Approved site plan and NOC from the development authority
- Seller's CNIC and the chain of prior title documents
- Sale agreement and paid stamp duty challan
Property & RentRent disputes and evictionWhat a landlord can and cannot do, and where a tenant dispute is actually heard.
Step by step
- 1Rent matters go before the Rent Controller / Rent Tribunal, not the ordinary civil court.
- 2A landlord cannot evict by force, changing locks or cutting utilities — eviction requires an order.
- 3Grounds usually pleaded are default in rent, personal bona fide need, or expiry of the tenancy.
- 4Tenants should keep depositing rent (in court if refused) — non-payment weakens an otherwise strong defence.
Documents to keep ready
- Written and, ideally, registered tenancy agreement
- Rent receipts or bank transfer records
- Notices exchanged between the parties
- Utility bills showing possession
BusinessRegistering a company with SECPFrom name reservation to incorporation, and what to do in the first month after.
Step by step
- 1Reserve the company name on SECP's eServices portal.
- 2File incorporation documents — memorandum and articles of association, and director details.
- 3Once the incorporation certificate issues, register for NTN with FBR and open the company bank account.
- 4Put the statutory registers and annual filing calendar in place immediately — penalties here are avoidable.
Documents to keep ready
- CNICs of all directors and subscribers
- Proposed company name options
- Registered office address proof
- Memorandum and articles of association
BusinessGetting a contract right before you signThe clauses that decide what happens when a deal goes wrong — usually skipped, always expensive.
Step by step
- 1Confirm the other side's legal identity and that the signatory is authorised to bind them.
- 2Nail down scope, payment schedule, and what counts as delivery or completion.
- 3Agree the termination, penalty and dispute-resolution clauses — including which city's courts or arbitration applies.
- 4Sign on stamp paper of the correct value and keep an original with each party.
Documents to keep ready
- Draft agreement
- CNIC / incorporation documents of both parties
- Board resolution or authority letter for the signatory
- Stamp paper of the applicable value
EmploymentUnpaid salary or wrongful terminationThe route for an employee whose dues are withheld or who is removed without process.
Step by step
- 1Send a written demand to the employer and keep proof of delivery — this establishes your timeline.
- 2Wage and termination claims are raised before the labour authorities / Labour Court under the applicable provincial law.
- 3Deadlines are short — grievance notices in particular are time-barred quickly, so act early.
- 4Gather proof of employment before you lose access to work email and systems.
Documents to keep ready
- Appointment letter and any contract
- Salary slips and bank statements
- Termination or resignation correspondence
- Attendance records or work communications
Consumer & CyberOnline harassment, blackmail or fraudHow to report a cybercrime to the FIA and what to preserve before you do.
Step by step
- 1Do not delete anything. Screenshot messages, profiles, URLs and transaction records first.
- 2File a complaint with the FIA Cyber Crime Wing — online through the complaint portal or at the nearest circle office.
- 3Report and block the account on the platform in parallel, but keep your evidence copies.
- 4For financial fraud, inform your bank immediately — early reporting improves the chance of a reversal.
Documents to keep ready
- Your CNIC
- Screenshots with visible URLs, usernames and timestamps
- Transaction receipts, if money was involved
- A written statement of what happened, in sequence
Consumer & CyberDefective goods and bad serviceConsumer courts exist in every province and cost very little to approach.
Step by step
- 1Send the seller or service provider a written notice describing the defect and the remedy you want.
- 2If it is not resolved within the notice period, file a claim in the Consumer Court of your district.
- 3Claims cover defective products, deficient services and misleading advertising.
- 4Keep the timeline tight — consumer claims must be filed within the limitation period from when you discovered the defect.
Documents to keep ready
- Invoice or receipt
- Warranty or service agreement
- Photos or a technical report showing the defect
- Copy of the legal notice and proof of dispatch
From the blog
Longer reads on the questions clients ask us most often.
Supreme Court Clarifies Legal Effect of Inheritance Mutation and Revenue Records
The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that an inheritance mutation by itself does not create title to immovable property, while long-standing entries in revenue records carry a presumption of truth unless successfully rebutted.
Read articleSupreme Court Acquits Murder Accused Due to Doubts in Prosecution Evidence
The Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted a murder accused after finding contradictions in the eyewitness account, lack of corroborating evidence and other circumstances creating reasonable doubt in the prosecution case.
Read articleSupreme Court Holds Wife Can Demand Mehr During Marriage
The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that a wife can demand her dower (mehr) during the subsistence of marriage and that the husband remains legally obligated to pay it when demanded.
Read articleSupreme Court Clarifies Woman’s Right to Seek Khula
The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that khula is a right that must be explicitly sought by a woman, and a court cannot grant khula without her clear request and consent.
Read articleSupreme Court Clarifies Grandfather’s Obligation to Maintain Grandchild
The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that a grandfather may be required to maintain his grandchild when the child's father is poor and has no financial resources, provided the grandfather is financially capable of providing maintenance.
Read articleSupreme Court Clarifies Requirements for a Valid Show-Cause Notice
The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that a show-cause notice issued against a government employee must clearly identify the alleged misconduct and provide sufficient information to enable the employee to properly respond to the allegations.
Read articleSupreme Court Opinion on Fair Trial and Due Process
The Supreme Court of Pakistan observed in March 2024 that the trial and appeal proceedings in the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference did not meet the constitutional requirements of fair trial and due process.
Read articleCourt words, in plain language
The terms that come up in almost every case, explained without the jargon.
Vakalatnama
The document by which you formally appoint a lawyer to represent you in a case. Without it filed, your lawyer cannot appear for you.
Plaint
The written statement that starts a civil suit — it sets out your facts and exactly what relief you are asking the court for.
Ex-parte order
An order passed when one side does not appear. It can usually be challenged, but only within a limited time.
Stay order
A temporary court order stopping something from happening — a sale, a demolition, a transfer — while the case is decided.
Fard
The revenue record showing who owns a piece of land and what is registered against it. The starting point of any property check.
Intiqal (mutation)
The entry in the revenue record transferring ownership to a new owner or to heirs after a death.
Nikahnama
The marriage contract. Its clauses — especially on delegated right of divorce and haq mehr — matter a great deal later.
Interim bail
Temporary bail granted before arrest, for a fixed date, until the court decides the full application.
Limitation
The deadline for filing a case. Miss it and the court can dismiss a perfectly good claim without hearing it.
Decree
The formal, enforceable outcome of a civil suit. Execution proceedings are what turn a decree into actual relief.
Summons
The court's notice requiring a person to appear. Ignoring it usually leads to an ex-parte order against you.
Stamp duty
A tax paid on certain documents. An under-stamped document can be refused as evidence, so the value matters.
Frequently asked questions
Is any of this legal advice?
No. These are general explanations of how common processes work in Pakistan. Procedure differs by province, by court and by the facts of your case — for your matter, speak to a lawyer.
Do I need an account to read this?
No. Everything on this page is free and open. You only need an account when you want to message a lawyer or book a consultation.
How do I pick the right lawyer?
Match the practice area to your problem first, then look at years of experience, the courts they appear in, and their consultation fee. Each guide above links to the relevant practice area.
What does a first consultation usually cover?
Whether you have a case, which forum it goes to, the likely timeline and cost, and what documents you need to collect. Bring your documents to the first meeting — it saves a whole round.
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These guides are general information, not legal advice. When the matter is yours, talk to a verified lawyer who handles cases like it every week.
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