Start with three separate questions
What happened? Which legal claim might fit those events? What remedy are you asking for? Keep a different note for each question. A long account of a difficult job can contain important evidence, but the tribunal needs to understand the specific disputes it has power to decide. Write a short case summary before writing a long narrative. If you cannot name the possible claim, get advice at this stage rather than guessing.
Build a small, usable case file
Create folders for correspondence, pay records, workplace documents, tribunal correspondence and your own working notes. Keep original files and record where each item came from. Make a chronology with four columns: date, event, supporting document and disputed point. Add a separate task list for tribunal directions. Record the exact wording of each required task and its due date; an email reminder alone is a poor substitute for the order itself.
Use the tribunal’s directions as your working plan
The preparation needed depends on the orders made in your case. Document exchange, a hearing bundle, statements and a schedule of loss are different tasks. Do not assume that an example from another person’s case tells you what your tribunal requires. If an order is unclear or a deadline cannot be met, address it promptly using the tribunal’s procedure and explain the issue clearly.
Prepare to explain, not just to read
For each disputed issue, identify the document or witness that supports your position and the response you expect from the employer. Practise explaining an event in a few sentences and finding its supporting page. Prepare questions around facts you need clarified. The hearing is not a performance of your entire file; the useful skill is moving between the issue, the evidence and your answer.
A worked preparation example
Imagine that Alex disputes a dismissal following a conduct meeting. Alex’s folder contains 80 emails. The useful first step is not printing all 80. Alex identifies the dismissal reason, the invitation, the evidence supplied before the meeting, the meeting notes and the appeal outcome. The chronology then shows where Alex disagrees with the employer’s account. This is an organisation example, not an assessment of an unfair dismissal claim.
What to do next
Check the current limitation rules first. Then make your chronology, read every tribunal direction and list the next three preparation tasks. If you want a longer guide through the process from Acas to a final hearing, the Employment Tribunal volume is the relevant book in this series. Read its Amazon sample and check the edition before deciding whether it suits you.
Sources & scope
Checked on 8 October 2026. Follow your tribunal’s directions and jurisdiction-specific rules. Examples on this page are fictional and illustrate preparation methods, not legal outcomes.
Edition notes and current-rule checks · General information, not individual legal advice.