What is the LDABAK file format?
An .ldabak file is an encrypted backup created by Legistant, a legal case management platform built by White Star Web Solutions in Sri Lanka. It stores an exact copy of the data a user entered into the software so that records can be archived against corruption or handed off to another Legistant account.
Under the hood, the file is a ZIP archive. Inside it are several JSON files: content.dat for the case data the user typed in, meta.dat for metadata, and file.log for a record of file events. Those payload files are encrypted with Bcrypt, so the ZIP wrapper keeps the backup compact while the encryption protects sensitive client information. The desktop app that first produced these files, Legistant Digital Assistant, has been discontinued, but Legistant continues as a web and mobile service.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAn .ldabak file is passive backup data, not an executable, so it cannot run code on its own. It does hold sensitive legal case information under Bcrypt encryption, so treat it as confidential and only import it into Legistant accounts you trust.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open LDABAK files
Windows3 apps
WinZip
Paid Open the .ldabak as a ZIP archive to view and extract the inner content.dat, meta.dat, and file.log files, which remain Bcrypt-encrypted. 
7-Zip
Open-source Right-click the .ldabak file and choose Open archive to inspect and unpack the ZIP contents without decrypting them. 
Legistant
Paid Sign in to Legistant and use its restore or import function to load the .ldabak backup, which decrypts and reinstates your case data. 
macOS2 apps
The Unarchiver
Free Use The Unarchiver to extract the ZIP contents of the .ldabak file; the resulting .dat files stay encrypted.
Legistant
Paid Log in to Legistant and import the .ldabak backup to restore the encrypted case data. 
Linux1 app
unzip
Open-source Run unzip on the .ldabak file to list and extract the archived .dat and .log entries for inspection. 
Android1 app
Legistant Mobile
Paid Install the Legistant mobile app, sign in, and restore your account from the .ldabak backup.
Legistant Mobile
Paid Open the Legistant app on iOS, log in, and use the restore function to load the .ldabak backup.
Legistant Web App
Paid Open the Legistant web app and use the backup restore option to import your .ldabak file directly in the browser. Technical details
deep spec| Container | ZIP archive |
| Compression | Deflate (ZIP) |
| Encryption | Bcrypt-based encryption applied to the stored data files |
| Encoding | JSON payload files stored inside the archive |
| Byte order | N/A (ZIP local headers are little-endian) |
| Structure | A ZIP-compressed archive that bundles several encrypted JSON files: content.dat (user-entered case data), meta.dat (metadata), and file.log (a log of file events). |
| Integrity | CRC-32 per ZIP entry |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Web |
| Typical size | Kilobytes to tens of megabytes depending on case volume |
| Notes | The ZIP wrapper can be opened by any archive tool, but the extracted .dat files remain encrypted and are unreadable without Legistant software or the Bcrypt key. Legistant Digital Assistant, the desktop app that produced these files, has been discontinued. |
| Released | 2010s |
| Specification | www.legistant.com |
LDABAK conversions
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