## Your First Case — Start to Finish
Welcome to Modulaw.ai. This 10-minute tutorial walks you through your first case from start to finish, using a realistic Nigerian litigation scenario: **Mrs. Adaobi Okeke v Zenith Bank Plc** — a wrongful dishonour of cheque and breach of contract claim.
By the end, you will have: set up your workspace, onboarded a client, created a case, researched the law, drafted a written address, and filed to the court portal. Let’s go.
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## Phase 1: Getting Started — Your Workspace
Every case lives inside a **workspace**. Think of it as your digital chambers — it holds your team, your cases, your documents, and your integrations.
### Step 1: Create Your Workspace
Toggle **Case Management Mode** on (the toggle button near the send field), then say:
> “Create a new workspace called ‘Fadahunsi Chambers’”
Modulaw will render a form. Fill in:
– **Workspace Name**: Fadahunsi Chambers
– **Description**: Full-service litigation and corporate practice
– **Practice Areas**: Litigation, Corporate, Property
Click **Create**. Your workspace is live.
### Step 2: Invite Your Team
> “Invite chidi@fadahunsi.com as a member with role ‘Associate’”
Repeat for each team member. They’ll receive email invitations.
### Step 3: Connect Your Integrations
Modulaw works with your existing tools. Connect:
– **Zoho Mail** — for client correspondence
– **Google Calendar** — for court dates and deadlines
– **OneDrive / Zoho WorkDrive** — for document storage
Go to **Settings → Integrations** and follow the prompts. Each connection takes about 30 seconds.
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## Phase 2: Onboard Your Client
Mrs. Adaobi Okeke walks into your office. She issued a cheque for ₦5,000,000 to a supplier, but Zenith Bank wrongfully dishonoured it despite sufficient funds in her account. The supplier is now threatening legal action against her, and she wants to sue the bank.
### Step 1: Create the Client Record
> “Add a new client: Mrs. Adaobi Okeke, email adaobi@email.com, phone 0803-456-7890”
Modulaw creates the client profile. All future correspondence, documents, and billing for Mrs. Okeke will be linked here.
### Step 2: Send the Intake Form
> “Send the client intake form to Adaobi Okeke”
She receives an email with a secure link. She fills in her details, uploads the dishonoured cheque copy, bank statements, and the supplier’s demand letter — all of which land in her client file automatically.
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## Phase 3: Create the Case
### Step 1: Open the Case
> “Create a new case: ‘Mrs. Adaobi Okeke v Zenith Bank Plc’ in Fadahunsi Chambers”
Fill in:
– **Case Type**: Civil Litigation
– **Court**: High Court of Lagos State
– **Practice Area**: Banking & Finance / Contract
– **Cause of Action**: Wrongful dishonour of cheque, breach of banker-customer contract
– **Claim Amount**: ₦15,000,000 (special and general damages)
– **Client**: Adaobi Okeke (linked automatically)
### Step 2: Set Key Dates
> “Add a deadline: ‘File Writ of Summons’ due 21 July 2026”
> “Add a deadline: ‘File Written Address’ due 4 August 2026”
These appear on your dashboard and sync to Google Calendar.
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## Phase 4: Research the Law
Before drafting, you need the authorities. Toggle **Case Management Mode off** (or keep it on — research tools work in both modes).
### Step 1: Find the Governing Statute
> “What does the law say about wrongful dishonour of cheques in Nigeria?”
Modulaw’s statutes expert returns the relevant provisions — typically the **Bills of Exchange Act** and principles from the banker-customer relationship.
### Step 2: Find Case Law
> “Find Nigerian cases on wrongful dishonour of cheque and damages”
The case law expert returns leading authorities. Key cases typically include principles on:
– The bank’s duty to honour cheques when funds are sufficient
– The measure of damages for wrongful dishonour
– The distinction between trader and non-trader claimants
### Step 3: Check for Contradictions
> “Check for contradictions to the wrongful dishonour authorities”
The contradiction checker flags any conflicting decisions, distinguishes cases, and gives you a risk assessment. This is critical — you don’t want to walk into court relying on overturned authority.
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## Phase 5: Draft the Written Address
### Step 1: Generate the Draft
> “Draft a written address for Mrs. Adaobi Okeke v Zenith Bank Plc at the High Court of Lagos State. The claim is for wrongful dishonour of cheque and breach of banker-customer contract. Claimant seeks ₦15,000,000 in damages.”
Modulaw opens the **Canvas** with a full written address containing:
– **Introduction** — parties, suit number placeholder, jurisdiction
– **Brief Facts** — the dishonoured cheque, sufficient funds, supplier’s threat
– **Issues for Determination** — 3–4 crisp legal questions
– **Legal Argument** — each issue argued with statute + case law woven in
– **Conclusion & Prayer** — the reliefs sought
### Step 2: Review and Refine
Read through the draft in the Canvas. You can:
– Edit any section directly
– Ask Modulaw to expand a weak argument: “Strengthen the argument on Issue 2 with more authorities”
– Adjust the tone: “Make the conclusion more forceful”
### Step 3: Finalise
> “Finalise the written address and save it to the Okeke case”
The document is saved to the case file, versioned, and ready for filing.
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## Phase 6: Manage Case Tasks
Toggle **Case Management Mode** back on.
### Step 1: Create Tasks
> “Create tasks for the Okeke case: (1) File Writ of Summons at Lagos High Court Registry, (2) Serve processes on Zenith Bank, (3) Prepare witness statement for Mrs. Okeke, (4) File Written Address”
Assign each task to a team member with a due date.
### Step 2: Track Progress
> “Show me the Okeke case dashboard”
Your dashboard shows:
– **Tasks**: 2 of 4 completed
– **Deadlines**: Writ filed, Written Address due 4 August
– **Expenses**: Filing fees logged
– **Recent Activity**: Documents uploaded, research sessions
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## Phase 7: Communicate with the Client
### Step 1: Send an Update
> “Email Adaobi Okeke: Dear Mrs. Okeke, your Writ of Summons has been filed at the Lagos High Court. Zenith Bank has been served. We are now preparing your witness statement and written address. Next step: we will meet on Friday to review your evidence. Regards, Samuel Fadahunsi.”
The email sends from your connected Zoho Mail — complete with your signature, letterhead, and case reference.
### Step 2: Share Documents
> “Share the draft written address with Adaobi Okeke for review”
She receives a secure link to view (not edit) the document. She can add comments, which appear in your case feed.
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## Phase 8: File to the Court Portal
When the court uses an e-filing portal:
> “Go to the Lagos High Court e-filing portal and file the written address for Suit No. LD/ADR/2026/____”
Modulaw’s browser agent navigates the portal, fills the forms, uploads the document, and confirms filing. You get a screenshot of the confirmation page saved to the case file.
*Note: Portal filing requires the court’s e-filing system to be accessible. For courts without e-filing, Modulaw prepares the physical filing package — printed copies, cover letters, and a checklist.*
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## Phase 9: Prepare for Hearing
### Step 1: Compile the Case File
> “Compile a hearing bundle for the Okeke case”
Modulaw assembles:
– Writ of Summons
– Statement of Claim
– Witness Statement
– Written Address
– List of Authorities
– Exhibits (cheque copy, bank statements, demand letter)
All paginated, indexed, and exported as a single PDF.
### Step 2: Brief Your Team
> “Summarise the Okeke case for the associate handling the hearing”
Modulaw produces a one-page brief: key facts, legal issues, authorities relied on, and the reliefs sought. Perfect for last-minute prep.
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## Phase 10: Post-Judgment
After judgment is delivered:
### Step 1: Log the Outcome
> “Update the Okeke case: judgment delivered 15 September 2026 — judgment for the Claimant, ₦10,000,000 damages awarded”
### Step 2: Bill the Client
> “Generate an invoice for the Okeke case: professional fees ₦2,500,000, filing fees ₦50,000, total ₦2,550,000”
The invoice is generated, saved to the case, and can be emailed to the client.
### Step 3: Close or Appeal
> “Add a note: Client instructed to appeal the quantum of damages. Notice of Appeal to be filed within 14 days.”
The case stays open, and the cycle continues.
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## Quick Reference: Commands You’ll Use Every Day
| What You Want | What to Say |
|—|—|
| Research case law | “Find Nigerian cases on [topic]” |
| Check a statute | “What does [Act] say about [issue]?” |
| Draft a document | “Draft a [written address / brief / memo] for [case]” |
| Create a task | “Create a task: [description] due [date]” |
| Email a client | “Email [client]: [message]” |
| Check deadlines | “Show me upcoming deadlines” |
| File to portal | “File [document] to [court portal] for [case]” |
| Compile a bundle | “Compile a hearing bundle for [case]” |
| Generate an invoice | “Generate an invoice for [case]” |
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## What’s Next?
– **Set up AI Employees** — autonomous agents that monitor your cases, check for new authorities, and flag deadlines while you sleep.
– **Explore the Knowledge Graph** — map citation networks, analyse judge performance, and predict outcomes.
– **Customise your Workspace** — add practice groups, set billing rates, and configure document templates.
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*That’s your first case, start to finish. Welcome to Modulaw.ai — your AI-powered chambers.*