Civil Litigation

File a civil suit for recovery of money in the appropriate civil court (determined by the amount). For amounts up to ₹20 lakh, you can use the Summary Suit procedure under Order XXXVII CPC for faster recovery. A lawyer can also send a legal notice first — many debtors pay at the notice stage.

An injunction is a court order stopping someone from doing something (or requiring them to do something). Temporary Injunctions are granted urgently to preserve status quo while a case is pending. They can be obtained within days of filing the suit in urgent cases.

Civil cases are notoriously slow in India — lower court cases can take 5–15 years. However, Summary Suits and applications under specialized legislation (like Negotiable Instruments Act for cheque bounce) move faster. High Courts handle appeals in 2–5 years typically.

Specific performance is a court order directing the other party to fulfill their contractual obligation — typically used when money compensation is inadequate (e.g., a seller refusing to transfer a unique property). Courts can compel actual performance rather than just awarding damages.