1. About LegalHub

LegalHub is the legal discovery and engagement area of 1stattorneys.ng. It is intended to help members of the public find lawyers and law firms, explore professional profiles, ask legal questions, and initiate contact with legal professionals. Depending on the features enabled on the installed site, registered members may also use private legal-service requests, messaging, consultations, reviews and community discussions.

This manual is organised by user role so that clients, individual lawyers, law firms and administrators can find the instructions relevant to them.

2. Before You Begin

Use the LegalHub pages and account links published on https://1stattorneys.ng. Page names, menu placement and available actions may differ by account type and by the version installed.

What you may need

• A working email address that you can access.
• A secure password, and access to any verification or password-reset email sent by the website.
• For a lawyer or law-firm profile, accurate professional, contact and practice information.
• A stable internet connection and an up-to-date browser.

Important account distinction

Client, individual lawyer and law-firm accounts are different user journeys. Choose the account type that describes you. Do not create a client account if you intend to manage a professional profile, or a professional account if you only want to seek legal help, unless the site explicitly supports changing or linking account roles.

3. Public Website: Finding Your Way Around

Visitors can use the public website to explore LegalHub and locate information before registering. The project navigation has included directory and legal-help entry points; exact labels and placement must be confirmed on the current site.

Common public tasks

1. Open the LegalHub area from the main website.
2. Choose the relevant directory or legal-help option.
3. Search or browse by name, location, practice area or other available filters.
4. Open a lawyer or law-firm profile and review the information provided.
5. Use the available contact, question or Legal Connect action if you want to take the next step.

4. Registration, Login and Password Recovery

Registering

1. Open the current LegalHub registration or join page.
2. Select the appropriate account type, if the site offers a role choice.
3. Enter the required information accurately and use an email address you control.
4. Submit the form and follow any verification or approval instructions displayed.
5. Return to the login page and sign in after the account is activated.

Logging in

1. Open the site's current login page.
2. Enter your registered email or username and password as requested by the form.
3. Submit the form. If redirected, check that you have reached the dashboard for the correct account type.

Forgotten password or login trouble

• Use the password-reset link on the site's login screen, if available.
• Check spam/junk folders for reset or verification messages.
• Confirm that you are using the email address associated with the account.
• If no reset message arrives, contact the published support channel and include the account email and a description of the problem. Never send your password.

5. Client Guide

The client area is intended for people seeking legal information, looking for a lawyer or law firm, or requesting professional assistance. The exact dashboard menu depends on the live implementation.

A. Set up your account

1. Register or sign in using the client journey.
2. Open your client dashboard.
3. Complete only the profile fields the site requests and keep contact details current.
4. Review account and notification settings, where available.

B. Find a lawyer or law firm

1. Open the directory or Find a Lawyer / Find a Law Firm page.
2. Use available search fields or filters to narrow the results.
3. Open a profile and check practice areas, locations, experience, credentials and contact information shown.
4. Contact the professional through the site's available pathway. Confirm any engagement terms directly before work begins.

C. Ask a legal question

1. Open the Legal Questions or Legal Q&A area, if available.
2. Read any notice explaining whether the question will be public, private or visible to matched professionals.
3. Provide a concise description of the issue, relevant location and general timeline.
4. Do not post passwords, identity numbers, bank details or unnecessary sensitive information.
5. Submit and keep any reference number or confirmation shown. Return to the dashboard to review replies if the feature is available.

D. Send a private Legal Connect request

1. Open Legal Connect or the equivalent legal-help request page.
2. Select the relevant service or practice area and provide a useful summary of your needs.
3. Add location, preferred contact method, timing and budget only where requested.
4. Review the privacy and submission notice before sending.
5. Check the dashboard for request status, responses or messages, if those features are enabled.

E. Messages, consultations and reviews

Where enabled, use the dashboard's Messages or Consultations area to follow up on an existing enquiry. Keep communications professional and retain relevant records. Only leave a review based on a genuine experience, and do not publish confidential details about a matter.

6. Individual Lawyer Guide

The lawyer area is intended for individual legal professionals who wish to maintain a professional presence and, where enabled, respond to questions or receive client enquiries.

A. Registration and profile setup

1. Choose the individual lawyer registration path.
2. Provide accurate identity and professional details requested by the site.
3. Complete practice areas, location, biography, contact preferences and credentials where those fields are available.
4. Submit supporting information requested for verification, if applicable.
5. Check the profile after saving and correct errors or omissions.

B. Manage your public profile

• Keep practice areas, office locations, biography and contact details accurate.
• Use professional language and avoid guarantees about case outcomes.
• Do not publish client-confidential information.
• If the profile is unclaimed or contains inaccurate information, use the available claim or correction process.

C. Legal Q&A and public answers

1. Open Legal Q&A, Matching Questions or the equivalent dashboard section, if available.
2. Review the question and any visibility or eligibility rules.
3. Answer only where you are competent and appropriately qualified.
4. Keep the response general where the facts are incomplete, identify important limitations and avoid disclosing confidential information.
5. Check My Answers or the corresponding history page, if available, to review prior responses.

D. Legal Connect requests

1. Open Legal Connect or Connect Requests.
2. Review the request summary and any available location, practice-area, budget or timing information.
3. Use the available Interested / Accept or Decline action, if present.
4. Keep status updated and respond through the approved communication channel.
5. Do not treat an expression of interest as a confirmed retainer. Agree scope, fees, conflicts and engagement terms directly before accepting instructions.

E. Preferences and notifications

If Q&A Preferences or Connect Preferences are available, select only the practice areas and request types you are willing and competent to handle. Review notification settings and keep your email current.

7. Law Firm Guide

The law-firm area is intended for firms that need to maintain a firm profile and, where supported, manage team information and incoming LegalHub interactions.

A. Create or claim a firm profile

1. Choose the law-firm registration path, if offered.
2. Enter the firm's official name, address, contact details, practice areas and other requested information.
3. Add office locations and team members only through fields provided by the site.
4. If a directory profile already exists, use the published claim process rather than creating a duplicate where possible.
5. Complete any ownership or verification steps requested by the platform.

B. Firm dashboard

The intended dashboard structure has included sections such as Overview, Firm Profile, Legal Q&A, Legal Connect, Community Forum, Account Settings and Sign Out. Some sections may contain their own tabs or submenus.

C. Firm profile maintenance

• Keep firm details, practice areas, office addresses and contact information current.
• Ensure listed lawyers and credentials are accurate and authorised for publication.
• Review the public-facing profile after changes.
• Use the site's support or correction process if duplicate listings or incorrect data cannot be edited from the dashboard.

D. Questions, requests and messages

Use the Legal Q&A section for available public-question functions and Legal Connect for private client requests. Community Forum discussions, where available, are a separate open-discussion feature and should not be used to disclose client-confidential information.

8. Understanding Legal Q&A, Legal Connect and Community Forum

Legal Q&A — public or shared legal questions

Legal Q&A is intended for questions that may be visible to the public or eligible legal professionals, depending on the selected visibility and platform settings. Users should read the visibility notice before posting. Lawyers should answer professionally and avoid treating limited facts as a complete brief.

Legal Connect — private legal-service requests

Legal Connect is intended to help a client describe a need and connect with a suitable professional. A request may include a practice area, location, budget or timing information. Any matching, opt-in, status and messaging functions must be confirmed on the live installation.

Community Forum — open discussion

The forum is intended for general community discussions where enabled. It is not a substitute for confidential legal advice or a private engagement. Do not post privileged, confidential or identifying information about a client or dispute.

At a glance

9. Claiming and Correcting a Directory Profile

A public profile may exist before its subject has claimed or managed it. Where the site provides a Claim This Profile action, the claim process is intended to let an eligible lawyer or firm request control of the listing.

1. Open the relevant public profile.
2. Select Claim This Profile, if shown.
3. Complete the requested identity, authority and contact information.
4. Submit the request and retain any confirmation.
5. Monitor email or the dashboard for a decision or request for more information.
6. After approval, sign in and review the profile details you can manage.

If the claim option is missing or the listing is inaccurate, use the site's published contact channel. Do not create duplicate listings merely to work around a claim issue.

10. Reviews, Ratings and Professional Verification

Where enabled, reviews and ratings help users share feedback about a genuine professional interaction. Reviews should be truthful, relevant, respectful and free of confidential information. Do not post fabricated reviews, personal attacks or unsupported allegations.

A profile's verification label must be interpreted according to the site's published explanation. A label such as Unconfirmed does not by itself establish misconduct or lack of qualification. Users should independently assess whether a professional is suitable for their needs.

11. Messaging, Consultations and Engagement

Where the platform provides messaging or consultation features, use them to follow up on a specific request and keep the conversation relevant. Check the recipient before sending a message and do not assume that every account can message every other account.

Good practice

• Use the platform's available status and reply actions instead of sending duplicate requests.
• Keep a record of agreed next steps and deadlines.
• Agree fees, scope, conflicts checks, identity checks and engagement terms before substantive work begins.
• Use secure, appropriate channels for sensitive documents.
• Report messages that appear fraudulent, abusive or unrelated to the platform's purpose.

12. Account Settings, Security and Privacy

• Use a unique password and keep it private.
• Sign out when using a shared device.
• Keep account email and contact details current.
• Provide only information needed for the relevant LegalHub task.
• Review whether a post or question is public before submitting it.
• Do not include passwords, payment-card details, government ID numbers or unnecessary sensitive data in public posts.
• Contact support if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.

LegalHub's user guide is not a privacy policy, engagement letter or guarantee of confidentiality. Read the website's applicable privacy and terms notices before submitting personal information. Do not assume a public question, forum post or profile field is confidential.

13. Administrator Guide

Administrative functions are restricted to authorised personnel. Menu names and available controls depend on the installed version, role capabilities and site configuration.

Intended administration areas

Operational checklist

• Review pending registrations, claims and approval queues.
• Use least-privilege access: grant administrator permissions only where required.
• Moderate public questions, forum posts and reviews under a published policy.
• Investigate reported messages and failed notifications.
• Test role-specific menus and permissions after plugin updates.
• Keep backups and test updates in a staging environment where possible.
• Record significant administrative changes and maintain a clear escalation route.

14. Troubleshooting

When reporting an issue, provide the page URL, account role, time of the issue, a short description and a screenshot with private information hidden. Never send your password or another user's confidential information.

15. Recommended Workflows

Client seeking legal help

1. Search the directory and review relevant profiles.
2. Decide whether to submit a public question or a private Legal Connect request.
3. Read visibility and privacy notices before submitting.
4. Review responses or messages through the available dashboard.
5. Agree engagement terms directly with the chosen professional.

Lawyer receiving enquiries

1. Complete and maintain your professional profile.
2. Set preferences only for work you can competently handle.
3. Review available questions or private requests.
4. Use status actions and messaging where enabled.
5. Confirm conflicts, scope, fees and engagement terms before accepting instructions.

Law firm maintaining its listing

1. Review the firm profile and office details.
2. Check that team information and practice areas are accurate.
3. Use the claim or correction workflow for listing problems.
4. Review new questions or requests only through the features available to the firm account.

Administrator maintaining the platform

1. Review pending accounts and profile claims.
2. Check public content and reported activity.
3. Test client, lawyer and firm flows after updates.
4. Verify notification delivery and dashboard permissions.
5. Update the user guide when live behaviour or labels change.

16. Quick Reference and Glossary

For a quick start: choose the correct account type, keep profile information accurate, check privacy before posting, use the appropriate public or private workflow, and contact support when a function is unavailable or appears to fail.

17. Support and Publication Notes

Website: https://1stattorneys.ng

Contact page: https://1stattorneys.ng/contact/

Published contact details shown on the website at the time this guide was prepared: ehub@1stattorneys.ng | +234 706 508 0672. Confirm these details before final publication.

Document control

Contact and feedback

Website: 1stattorneys.ng

Contact page: LegalHub Contact

Published contact details to reconfirm before launch: ehub@1stattorneys.ng | +234 706 508 0672.

Please report any help instruction that does not match the live website so this guide can be corrected.