Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following terms have the meanings set out below:

• "Agreement" means these Terms and Conditions together with any engagement letter or fee agreement entered into between you and Payung Seri.
• "We", "Us", "Our" means Payung Seri, a legal practice registered in Malaysia and operating from 22 Jalan Padungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak.
• "You", "Client" means the individual or entity that contacts us, uses our website or instructs us to provide legal services.
• "Services" means the legal services we provide, including but not limited to first meetings and case assessments, written opinions and options reports, and long-running matter representation, as described on our website and in any engagement letter.
• "Website" means the website operated by Payung Seri at the domain payungs.pro.
• "Matter" means the specific pension-related legal issue in respect of which you instruct us.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By using our Website, contacting our office or instructing us to provide Services, you confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use our Website or engage our Services.

Our Services are available to individuals aged 18 and over who have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements. If you are acting on behalf of another person (for example, an elderly parent or a deceased person's estate), you confirm that you have appropriate authority to do so.

3. Service Description

Payung Seri provides legal services relating to pension matters in Malaysia. We currently offer three structured services:

1. First Meeting and Case Assessment — a one-hour consultation to discuss your situation and agree on next steps.
2. Written Opinion and Options Report — a detailed written analysis of your legal position, delivered within three weeks of receiving all required documents.
3. Long-Running Matter Representation — end-to-end handling of complex pension matters, including correspondence, submissions and hearing attendance.

The scope of any Services we provide to you will be set out in our engagement letter or fee agreement, which takes precedence over these Terms in the event of any inconsistency regarding that specific matter.

Our Services are primarily directed at clients in Malaysia. We may assist clients based outside Malaysia in certain circumstances; please contact us to discuss.

4. Client Responsibilities

To enable us to provide the Services effectively, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete and timely information and documentation relevant to your Matter.
• Notify us promptly of any changes in your circumstances or if you receive new correspondence relevant to your Matter.
• Communicate with us in a respectful manner.
• Not provide false or misleading information.
• Not use our Website or Services for any unlawful purpose.
• Not attempt to access our systems or data without authorisation.

We are not responsible for delays or adverse outcomes that arise from incomplete, inaccurate or late information provided by you.

5. Intellectual Property

All content on our Website, including text, design, layout and graphics, is the property of Payung Seri and is protected by Malaysian copyright law. You may view and print content for your personal, non-commercial use only.

Written opinions, advice letters and other documents we prepare for you are produced for your personal use in connection with your Matter. You may share them with family members or advisers involved in your Matter. You may not reproduce, publish or distribute them for commercial purposes without our written consent.

Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights from Payung Seri to you.

6. Payment Terms

6.1 Fees

Our published fees are as follows:

• First Meeting and Case Assessment: RM 160 (fixed)
• Written Opinion and Options Report: RM 390 (fixed)
• Long-Running Matter Representation: from RM 615, as set out in the engagement letter

All fees are quoted in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) and are inclusive of any applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.

6.2 Payment

Fees for the First Meeting and Written Opinion are payable before the service is delivered. Fees for representation matters are payable as set out in the engagement letter. We accept payment by bank transfer and other methods confirmed at the time of engagement.

6.3 Cancellation and Refunds

If you cancel a First Meeting with less than 24 hours' notice, a cancellation fee of RM 80 may apply. For the Written Opinion, if you cancel after we have begun work on your documents, we may charge a proportion of the fee reflecting the work completed. For representation matters, the terms for early termination are set out in the engagement letter.

7. Scope, Changes and Delivery

The scope of each Service is agreed before work begins. If the scope of your Matter changes materially — for example, new documents emerge that require substantially more work than anticipated — we will notify you in writing and agree a revised fee before proceeding.

Written opinions are delivered within three weeks of receiving all documents we have asked for. We will communicate proactively if anything affects this timeline. Delivery is by email unless you have requested a physical copy.

For representation matters, timelines depend on the nature of the Matter and the conduct of third parties. We provide written estimates at the outset and update them when circumstances change.

8. Confidentiality

All information you provide to us in connection with your Matter is subject to legal professional privilege. We will not disclose your information to third parties except as necessary to conduct your Matter, as required by law, or with your consent. Our full data handling practices are described in our Privacy Policy.

9. Disclaimers

Legal advice depends on the specific facts and documents of each matter. Nothing on our Website constitutes legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Website content is provided for general information only.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of information on our Website, but we do not warrant that it is current, complete or free from error. Laws and regulations change; always obtain advice specific to your circumstances.

We do not provide any assurance as to the outcome of any Matter. The result of a pension claim depends on factors — including the conduct of third parties, the decisions of tribunals and the availability of documents — that are outside our control.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with our Services is limited to the fees you have paid us for the specific Service to which the claim relates.

We are not liable for indirect, consequential or special losses, loss of income, loss of opportunity, or any loss arising from the decisions of third parties, tribunals or regulatory bodies.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for fraud, wilful misconduct or gross negligence, or for any liability that cannot be excluded by law.

We are not liable for delays or failures in performance caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including natural disasters, changes in law, acts of government or failures of third-party systems.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Payung Seri, its lawyers and staff from and against any claims, losses, damages and costs (including legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your provision of inaccurate information or your misuse of our Website or Services.

12. Termination

Either party may terminate the engagement with reasonable written notice. You may terminate at any time; we may terminate if you have breached these Terms, provided false information, failed to pay fees as agreed, or if continuing the engagement would put us in breach of our professional obligations.

On termination, we will provide you with your documents (subject to any outstanding fees) and a note of the stage your Matter has reached.

Sections 8 (Confidentiality), 9 (Disclaimers), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 11 (Indemnification) and 13 (Governing Law) survive termination of these Terms.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or our Services will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Malaysia, with Kuching, Sarawak as the primary venue.

Before commencing formal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us to attempt to resolve any dispute informally. Please write to us at [email protected] describing the issue. We will respond within fourteen days.

If informal resolution is not possible, the parties may agree to refer the dispute to mediation under the rules of the Malaysian Mediation Centre before commencing litigation.

14. General Provisions

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with any engagement letter, constitute the entire agreement between you and Payung Seri regarding the subject matter herein.
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.
• Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
• Assignment: You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our obligations in connection with a reorganisation of our practice, provided the quality of service to you is not materially affected.
• Notices: Notices under these Terms should be sent by email to the address we provide, or by post to our office address. Notices to you will be sent to the email or postal address you have provided to us.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version will be posted on our Website with a revised "Last Updated" date. For existing engagements, we will notify you of any material changes by email. Continued engagement with our Services after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Contact

For questions about these Terms or our Services, contact us at: