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Art. 1.These General Terms and Conditions (“GTC”) govern the relationship between BSLC (Black Sea Law Counsel)(“BSLC”, “Provider”) and all persons (“Client”) who: (i) visit the BSLC website; (ii) send inquiries; (iii) book an appointment or request services; (iv) pay for services; (v) receive consulting and/or legal services from BSLC or by contacting an appropriate professional.
Art. 2.OAs apply to all services that BSLC offers or administers, including but not limited to: consulting, legal analysis, document review, document preparation, administrative assistance, organizational mediation and coordination with external specialists.
Art. 3.The Customer accepts the TOS through one or more of the following actions: using the website, sending a request/inquiry, ticking the “I agree” box, making an appointment, confirming an offer, making a payment or participating in a consultation.
Art. 4.If the Customer does not agree with the TOS, he should discontinue the use of the BSLC website and/or services and not make any requests, reservations or payments.
Art. 5.The client declares that he is capable and has the right to conclude contracts; in the case of legal entities, the actions are carried out by a duly authorized representative who guarantees the validity of the representative power.
Art. 6.“Website” means the BSLC website and all its sub-pages, contact forms and service request interfaces.
Art. 7.The “BSLC Booking System” (the “System”) is an electronic consultation booking system, which may include a questionnaire, a calendar of free hours, a price review, payment method selection, confirmation, email notifications and the generation of a summary/confirmation (incl. PDF).
Art. 8.“Consultation” is a service of a certain format and scope, which can be online (phone/video), present, written or combined, according to the chosen package/offer.
Art. 9.“Specialist” is an attorney or consultant (internal to BSLC or an external partner) who actually performs the Consultation or a specific part of the Service.
Art. 10.“Offer/Confirmation” is an electronic message/page/document that contains parameters of the service (scope, format, term, price, instructions) and is an integral part of the contract for the specific service.
Art. 11.The general information, publications and materials on the website are for informational purposes, may not be current or true as of their announced date of publication and do not constitute individual legal advice or legal opinion on a specific case. BSLC bears neither contractual nor other liability in the event that users/ Clients use the website for informational purposes and as a consequence of the impressions created by them on the occasion of the information read, decide to perform a certain action generating legal consequences, which turns out to be incorrect or harmful. BSLC is only liable in the case of a service rendered to the client, within the framework of which a professional consultant or lawyer has given legal advice within the meaning of the Law on Advocacy of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Art. 12.Responses to general inquiries (without explicitly commissioned and paid service) are indicative, incomplete by definition and do not replace individual consultation, do not constitute a legal opinion or legal advice and do not involve verification of facts and documents.
Art. 13.A contract for a specific service arises upon: (i) acceptance of the T&C and (ii) explicit assignment (through the System, by written communication or by a confirmed offer), the contract being considered finalized upon confirmation by BSLC and/or upon payment made when the service requires advance payment.
Art. 14.Booking an appointment for a Consultation through the System constitutes a validly concluded contract for consulting services between BSLC and the Client, under which BSLC undertakes to organize the service and to connect the Client with an appropriate Specialist to perform the Consultation.
Art. 15.The scope of the service includes only what is expressly agreed in the Offer/Confirmation; activities outside this scope (incl. representation before authorities/courts, additional documents, additional meetings) are carried out only on separate assignment and arrangement.
Art. 16.When the Consultation is carried out by a lawyer, it may be necessary to sign individual documents (e.g. legal aid contract, power of attorney) or fulfillment of professional requirements; the Client agrees to assist with reasonably necessary formalities.
Art. 17.Before accepting an assignment, BSLC and/or the Specialist may conduct a check for conflicts of interest and/or other impediments to performance.
Art. 18.In the event of a conflict of interest or other objective impediment, BSLC has the right to: (i) refuse the service; (ii) offer an alternative Specialist; (iii) propose a change of term/format; (iv) terminate the performance if the conflict is subsequently established.
Art. 19.BSLC has the right to refuse to provide services if: (i) it does not have the appropriate competence/resource within a reasonable time; (ii) the Client requires actions contrary to the law/ethics; (iii) the Client provides false information or abuses the process.
Art. 20.In case of refusal under art. 19 The BSLC settles the financial relationship in accordance with what has been done to date and the reimbursement rules under Section VII.
Art. 21.The client is obliged to provide accurate, complete and up-to-date information and documents necessary for the service, as well as to notify in a timely manner about changes that are relevant to the case.
Art. 22.The customer is responsible for the consequences of false, incomplete or misleading data, as well as for the concealment of relevant facts/deadlines.
Art. 23.The Client undertakes to assist in the performance of the service, including by answering questions, providing additional documents and participating in agreed meetings.
Art. 24.The customer guarantees that he has the right to provide the uploaded/sent documents and that this does not violate the rights of third parties.
Art. 25.The Customer undertakes to use BSLC's communication and systems in good faith and not to commit abuses (fictitious bookings, automated requests, fraud attempts, offensive/threatening behaviour).
Art. 26.BSLC undertakes to take professional care in the organization and provision of services, including selecting an appropriate Specialist according to the subject, complexity, language and deadlines.
Art. 27.BSLC may form a team of its own employees and/or external specialists, and the internal distribution of work does not affect the agreed parameters to the Client.
Art. 28.BSLC may use subcontractors (including translators, external experts, technical suppliers) when necessary for implementation, providing only the minimum necessary information for the purpose.
Art. 29.BSLC may change a particular Specialist in case of objective necessity (conflict of interest, illness, workload, technical impossibility) by informing the Client and proposing an alternative.
Art. 30.Communication may be carried out in Bulgarian, English and Russian when requested and possible; additional terms and costs may apply for specific languages/translation.
Art. 31.Prices are announced on the website/system or in an individual offer; in case of discrepancy, priority is given to the specific Offer/Confirmation for the service.
Art. 32.Pricing can be dynamic and depend on requested parameters (type of service, format, maturity, complexity, additional options), the final price being that in the Offer/Confirmation.
Art. 33.Payment can be made by card (via payment platform), bank transfer or on the spot where these methods are available; the conditions for confirming the hour/service depend on the method chosen and what is described in the Confirmation.
Art. 34.When paying through a payment platform, the Customer accepts the terms of the respective provider; BSLC is not responsible for refusals/delays due to provider procedures beyond BSLC's reasonable control.
Art. 35.If necessary, BSLC issues the invoice/accounting document based on the data provided by the Customer; The Customer is responsible for the correctness of the billing data.
Art. 36.Government fees, notary fees, transfers, legalizations, courier costs, expenses for external experts, travel and other expenses necessary for specific work are not included in the price, unless expressly agreed otherwise, and are at the expense of the Client.
Art. 37.The BSLC may require an advance deposit/expense advance or advance approval of a cost budget when it is reasonably necessary for execution.
Art. 38.Cancellations and/or rescheduling are made through the System or by written notification to BSLC through the indicated channels, applying the rules in the Confirmation and these GTC.
Art. 39.If the service has started to be performed (including document review, preliminary analysis, preparation, part of a consultation carried out), BSLC is entitled to withhold remuneration corresponding to the performed to date and the committed resource.
Art. 40.In case of “no-show” or non-inclusion at the agreed time without timely notice, BSLC may consider the service provided due to the reserved slot and commitment of the Specialist, unless an alternative is exceptionally offered.
Art. 41.Where a refund is applicable, it shall be made by the same payment method, where possible, or to a bank account specified by the Client, within a reasonable time, depending also on the processing of the payment providers.
Art. 42.In case of refusal of consultation or if the Client has not contacted BSLC before making a request for an online legal service, and it subsequently becomes clear that the service offered by BSLC does not coincide with the client's initial ideas about its nature, the fees for reimbursement of the amounts paid, which are collected by payment and trust service providers, are at the expense of the Client, and BSLC may refund the amount net (after deduction of fees) or require separate payment where the deduction is not technically possible, including by court order.
Art. 43.In the event of an unjustified chargeback after a service provided, the Customer shall owe BSLC all fees/costs charged by payment providers in connection with the dispute to the extent permitted by the applicable rules.
Art. 44.BSLC and the Specialists treat as confidential the information and documents received from the Customer in connection with the Services and use them only for performance purposes, unless otherwise required by law or the Customer expressly consents.
Art. 45.When the service is provided by a lawyer, the correspondence and materials may fall under the regime of professional secrecy; the Client accepts that the minimum necessary information for the performance of the service may be shared with the Specialists involved.
Art. 46.Upon completion of specific work, the Customer may request the return of originals when provided; BSLC may keep copies on file for purposes of reporting, dispute protection, and legal obligations.
Art. 47.Closed files/materials may be stored for a period of not less than 5 years, unless applicable legal obligations or legitimate interest require a longer period; after its expiration the data may be destroyed/deleted or anonymized.
Art. 48.BSLC processes personal data for purposes such as: provision and administration of services, reservations, communication, invoicing, accounting, protection of legal claims, fulfillment of legal obligations and security of systems.
Art. 49.For the provision of the Services, BSLC may use external providers (calendar, email, payment platforms, cloud storage), providing only minimally necessary data and applying reasonable security measures; the Customer accepts that these providers have their own terms and policies.
Art. 50.BSLC implements technical and organizational security measures (access control, login validation, request restriction, file checks, etc.), but the Customer undertakes to protect its own devices, passwords and accesses and use secure communication channels.
Art. 51.When BSLC and/or the Specialist is an obligated person under applicable rules for measures against money laundering, the Client undertakes to provide the requested identification and other information (incl. for beneficial owners) necessary to fulfill the obligations.
Art. 52.In case of failure to provide information under Article 51 or in the presence of suspicious circumstances, the BSLC may refuse or terminate the relationship, the financial settlement being carried out in accordance with the provisions of Section VIII.
Art. 53.All rights to the BSLC website, software components, visual identity, texts, materials and trademarks are vested in BSLC or its respective rightholders.
Art. 54.The Client may use the materials solely for personal/internal needs related to the case and shall not copy, publish, sell or distribute them to third parties without written consent, except when presentation to authorities/counterparties is necessary in the case.
Art. 55.BSLC and the Specialists do not guarantee a specific outcome of legal/administrative proceedings, as they depend on facts, evidence, conduct of third parties and decisions of competent authorities.
Art. 56.BSLC's liability does not cover damages arising from: (i) false/incomplete Customer data; (ii) missed deadlines due to Customer's fault; (iii) actions/inactions of third parties; (iv) technical failures beyond BSLC's control.
Art. 57.In the event that BSLC's liability arises, it shall, to the extent permissible, be limited to directly caused and proven damages and to the amount of the price paid for the particular service, unless mandatory rules provide otherwise.
Art. 58.BSLC may terminate the provision of services in the event of: (i) material breach of the TOS; (ii) misuse of the systems; (iii) refusal to cooperate; (iv) non-payment; (v) conflict of interest; (vi) legal or ethical impediment.
Art. 59.The Client may terminate the relationship by notifying BSLC; the financial settlement is made in accordance with what has been done so far and the Refund/Refund Policy.
Art. 60.Complaints and alerts are submitted in writing via BSLC's contact channels, with the Client indicating the identification data of the service (date/time/confirmation/payment) and a description of the problem.
Art. 61. (1) BSLC considers claims within a reasonable period of time and may request additional data; where applicable, BSLC offers an appropriate solution (clarification, correction, rescheduling, partial reimbursement according to what has been done, etc.).
(2) When the client is a consumer, within the meaning of the Consumer Protection Act and applicable European legislation, he has the right to cancel the services requested and paid for by him in 14 days from the date of their request, as far as the fact of their request, he commits a time slot at the disposal of a particular specialist, blocking it for other clients. However, if the service is partially or fully performed prior to the submission of the withdrawal request, BSLC reserves the right to refuse to refund the remuneration or to refund it in part.
Art. 62.BSLC may send transactional messages (confirmations, reminders, instructions) without further consent, as they are necessary for the performance of the contract; marketing communications are sent only with applicable consent or other legal possibility. BSLC does not accept service by e-mail (office@blacksealaw.com) of court papers, procedural documents or other official notices without express prior written consent. Insofar as the above e-mail is a group e-mail, created technologically in such a way that individual lawyers do not receive every single statement, all sent messages of the above kind are not considered to have been officially served.
Art. 63.Bulgarian substantive law shall apply to outstanding issues, and disputes shall be settled by mutual consent, and in case of failure to do so, by the competent court under the general procedure, unless mandatory consumer protection rules provide otherwise.
Art. 64.If a separate provision of the the present T&C is declared invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in force.
Art. 65.BSLC has the right to amend the T&C by posting an updated version on the website; changes are valid for future requests/bookings, and for already confirmed services the terms in effect at the time of confirmation shall apply, unless other rules are imposed by law.
Art. 66.These GTC come into force from the date of their publication on the BSLC website and are valid until a new version is adopted.
