How Adaka verifies every lawyer
Before a lawyer can accept any case on Adaka, they must pass a verification check. This isn't a self-declaration — it's a manual check against the Nigerian Bar Association's enrollment records. Here's exactly what that process involves.
What lawyers must submit
When a lawyer creates an Adaka account, they must provide:
- Supreme Court enrollment number (SCN) — the unique number assigned when a lawyer is called to the Bar in Nigeria
- State of call — the year and state in which they were called to the Bar
- Practising certificate details — including the certificate's expiry date
- Specialisation — their declared area(s) of legal practice
Uploading these details places the lawyer in a pending state — they cannot be assigned cases until their details are reviewed.
What Adaka checks
Adaka's admin team reviews the submitted details against the Nigerian Bar Association's enrollment register. The check confirms:
- The enrollment number exists and corresponds to the lawyer's name
- The state and year of call are consistent with NBA records
- The practising certificate is current (not expired)
The three verification statuses
The lawyer has submitted their details. Adaka's admin team is reviewing them against the NBA register. The lawyer cannot be matched with clients yet.
The lawyer's enrollment was confirmed. They appear in client search results and are eligible for automatic case assignment. All lawyers you can see on Adaka have this status.
An inconsistency was found — for example, a name mismatch or an expired practising certificate. The lawyer is removed from search and assignment until they resolve the issue and request re-review.
What 'verified' means for you
When you're matched with a verified lawyer on Adaka, it means Adaka has checked that:
- They have an active enrollment with the Nigerian Bar Association
- Their practising certificate was current at the time of verification
- Their stated credentials are consistent with NBA records
Important: Verification confirms NBA enrollment — it is not a guarantee of case outcomes. Your payment remains in escrow, and you can raise a dispute if the work isn't done correctly, regardless of the lawyer's verified status.
What happens when a practising certificate expires?
Practising certificate expiry date is collected at the time of verification. If a lawyer's certificate expires, their profile is subject to re-review. A lawyer whose certificate is found to be expired during an admin review will be flagged and removed from client-facing search until they submit a renewed certificate and pass re-verification.
Every lawyer on Adaka is verified
Get matched with a confirmed, NBA-enrolled lawyer — with your payment protected until the work is done.
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