Punjab counsel for families in Canada.

For most documents, no. Canada became a party to the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024, and India is also a party, so a Power of Attorney or affidavit notarised in Canada and then apostilled by the designated Canadian authority is accepted in India without any further attestation by the Indian Mission. That removed a step that used to add weeks. We confirm the position for your particular document before you make any appointment.

India is nine and a half hours ahead of Toronto and twelve and a half ahead of Vancouver. In practice that works well: your evening is our morning, so a call at eight in the evening in Brampton reaches us at the start of the working day. Written updates reach you overnight either way.

Not automatically. Section 13 of the Civil Procedure Code and the Supreme Court's decision in Y. Narasimha Rao v. Y. Venkata Lakshmi mean a foreign decree binds in India only in defined circumstances — broadly where the foreign court had jurisdiction under the law the parties married under and decided on a ground available under that law, with proper notice to the other spouse. Canadian decrees granted on breakdown grounds, where the other spouse did not participate, are often held not binding here. Get the decree reviewed before remarrying or dealing with Indian property.

Yes. Our advocates work in Punjabi, Hindi and English, which matters when the person on the ground in Punjab is an elderly parent or relative and you are coordinating from Canada.

Yes. Engagement, documents and fees are all handled remotely, and your matter is then run under a Power of Attorney with hearing-by-hearing updates in your client portal. Many of our Canadian clients have never attended a hearing in person.