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From Paper to Data: How the JSON Format Is Transforming Legal Practice

The future of law is no longer written only in judgments it’s also written in code

For centuries, law has existed in the language of texts: contracts, rulings, and judgments. But the twenty-first century demands a new syntax that of structured data. The JSON format (JavaScript Object Notation), born in the technological sphere, is becoming an essential tool for translating legal language into flows understandable by machines. The result: automatable procedures, more precise artificial intelligence, and a new way of understanding legal management.

What is JSON and why does it matter to the legal world?

JSON is a structured notation language that allows complex information, such as a legal process, to be represented in an orderly way, readable by both humans and computer systems. For example, a dismissal case, a claim, or a contract can be transformed into a coded decision tree, with its stages, deadlines, and possible outcomes. Its advantages are clear: interoperability between courts, law firms, and platforms; automation of repetitive tasks and deadline control; transparency and traceability of each decision; and, consequently, access to justice that is clearer and more visual for citizens.

From the case file to the algorithm: the unfair dismissal case

In a traditional labor proceeding, the lawyer manually manages documentation, deadlines, and resources. With a JSON model, the same process can be visualized as an interactive decision map, where each step conciliation, tribunal, and appeal is described with precision. This allows systems to be created that generate automatic deadline alerts, recommend documentation for each stage, calculate compensation according to current legal limits, and allow clients to follow their case visually and in real time.

The main advantages for law firms are the following: standardization of legal knowledge; integration with AI and management platforms; prevention of errors and control of critical deadlines; creation of new interactive legal products; traceability and regulatory compliance. In short, JSON transforms legal experience into a reusable digital asset, capable of powering training systems, AI tools, auditing, or document management.

Conclusion

The JSON format does not replace the lawyer’s judgment; it amplifies it. It transforms information into structured, reusable, and automatable knowledge. Law will remain a human language, but its infrastructure now speaks the language of data.

Let us now look at a practical, real example of an unfair dismissal case in England, represented in JSON format. This model can be integrated into legaltech systems to automate deadline management, resources, and decision-making.

{

  "case": "Unfair Dismissal (England and Wales)",

  "authorities": [

    "ACAS (Mandatory Early Conciliation)",

    "Employment Tribunal",

    "Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT)",

    "Court of Appeal"

  ],

  "requirements": {

    "length_of_service": "2 years of continuous employment (except automatic cases)",

    "submission_deadline": "3 months minus 1 day from the effective date of termination (EDT)"

  },

  "stages": [

    {

      "name": "Initial assessment",

      "actions": [

        "Verify employment status and length of service",

        "Identify the reason for dismissal",

        "Analyze possible automatic or discriminatory grounds"

      ]

    },

    {

      "name": "Internal appeal",

      "authority": "Employer",

      "deadline": "5–10 working days",

      "note": "Does not extend the time limit to file a tribunal claim"

    },

    {

      "name": "Mandatory early conciliation",

      "authority": "ACAS",

      "deadline": "Before the 3 months minus 1 day limit",

      "outcome": [

        "COT3 settlement",

        "No agreement → proceed to tribunal"

      ]

    },

    {

      "name": "Filing the claim (ET1)",

      "authority": "Employment Tribunal",

      "actions": [

        "File ET1 with ACAS certificate",

        "Employer responds with ET3"

      ]

    },

    {

      "name": "Hearing",

      "actions": [

        "Exchange of evidence and witnesses",

        "Decision on unfair dismissal and compensation"

      ]

    },

    {

      "name": "Appeal",

      "authority": "EAT",

      "deadline": "42 days from the written decision",

      "reason": "Error of law or procedure"

    }

  ],

  "possible_outcomes": [

    "Internal agreement or COT3",

    "Reinstatement",

    "Basic and compensatory award",

    "Dismissal of claim",

    "Appeal before the EAT"

  ],

  "compensation": {

    "weekly_cap_April_2025": "£719",

    "compensatory_cap": "£118,223",

    "acas_code_adjustment": "±25%"

  }

}

This format allows the law firm to integrate the process into an automated management platform, generate reports and personalized alerts, and connect the case with AI-based legal systems and regulatory databases. Ultimately, a procedure that once would have been filed away on paper becomes a digital asset of permanent value.