Facing Payment Default After 7 Years of Consulting: What Legal Steps Can I Take?

Company is not paying consultation fees

I worked with a company as a management/administrative consultant for 7 years. The issue of a formal agreement was delayed by the company continuously on trust grounds, and promises were given that arrears would be paid to me retroactively once the final amount was decided. I was paid a fixed monthly amount similar to a salary. I have proof of all payments and witnesses, including colleagues and outside professionals, with whom I interacted, as conclusive evidence of my work for the company.

After 7 years, I decided to discontinue and claimed my final accumulated dues. The company did not respond to any email communications, nor did they answer my phone calls. What legal remedy do I have in this case? It is a situation involving both payment default and fraud.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. It definitely seems like you have grounds for legal action against the company. Here's what you can do:

1. 📬 Documentation: Make sure you have all the necessary documents as proof. This includes emails, messages, payment receipts, and any other communication that you had with the company.

2. 💃🏻🙏🏻 Witnesses: Get written statements from your colleagues and outside professionals who can testify that you were working for the company.

3. 🤗 Legal Notice: Hire a lawyer and send a legal notice to the company mentioning your claim and providing a time limit for them to respond. This notice should contain all the details of the issue and should request payment for your due consultation fees.

4. 🤓💰 Legal Action: If the company still doesn't respond, you can file a case in a civil court for breach of trust and payment default. You can also file a complaint with the local labor commissioner's office in Surat.

5. 🤠 Fraud Case: If you believe it's a case of fraud, you can also file a criminal case against the company for cheating and fraud under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

6. 🤝 Engage Legal Expert: It's advisable to engage a legal expert who has experience in labor laws and consultancy agreements for guidance throughout the process.

Remember, it's essential to act promptly. The sooner you take action, the better. Also, it's always a good idea to keep all communication with the company in written form for reference in the future. Good luck!