Ontology-driven data acquisition: intelligent support to legal ODR systems

We describe a system for computer-assisted writing of legal documents via a question-based mechanism. This system relies upon an underlying ontological structure meant to represent the data flow from the user's input, and a corresponding resolution algorithm, implemented within a local engine based on a Last-State Next-State model, for navigating the structure and providing the user with meaningful domain-specific support and insight. This system has been successfully applied to the scenario of civil liability for motor vehicles and is part of a larger framework for self-litigation and legal support. © 2013 The authors and IOS Press.