Prepare a case timeline and evidence list before you speak with a lawyer.
This no-account-required guide helps you prepare a factual summary, timeline, evidence list, impact record, and questions. You can complete it in any document or spreadsheet. It is organization help, not legal advice.
What a prepared record contains
Illustrative
A case timeline for a lawyer is a dated list of what happened, who was involved, and which document or person supports each entry. Write events in date order, mark any date you are unsure about as approximate rather than guessing, note what you hold that backs each one, and list separately what is still missing or unclear.
Deadlines and urgent problems come first
This guide cannot identify filing deadlines, preserve legal rights, stop an eviction, answer a court order, or handle an emergency. Rules depend on the claim and jurisdiction. Contact a qualified lawyer or the appropriate local service promptly if a deadline, safety issue, or active proceeding may be involved.
Prepare a factual claim summary, not a legal conclusion.
A useful claim summary explains what happened, when it happened, who was involved, what evidence exists, what impact followed, and what is still uncertain. It gives a lawyer a clearer place to begin without pretending that you already know the correct legal theory.
Write facts in ordinary language. Separate what you personally know from what another person told you. Mark approximate dates as approximate. If two records disagree, include both instead of choosing the version that sounds better.
How to organize a legal claim for attorney review.
Keep every section short enough to scan and detailed enough that a reader can return to the supporting source.
- Step 01
Write a one-paragraph account
State what happened, who caused or contributed to it, when and where it happened, and how it affected you. Use your own words and avoid legal labels you are unsure about.
What happenedWhoWhenImpact - Step 02
Build an event timeline
List each important event on its own row. Include the date or time range, location, people present, what happened, and whether the date is exact or approximate.
DateEventPeopleConfidence - Step 03
List every person and their role
Record names, contact details you already have, how each person is connected to the events, and whether they directly observed anything important.
ParticipantWitnessContactSource - Step 04
Create an evidence inventory
List messages, contracts, photographs, reports, receipts, records, and other documents. For each item, note which event it supports and where the original is stored.
DocumentRelated eventOriginal location - Step 05
Record losses and other impact separately
List financial loss, missed work, expenses, property effects, health effects, or other impact without mixing those details into the event timeline. Keep the records that support each item.
AmountDateSourceOngoing impact - Step 06
Show gaps, conflicts, and uncertainty
Write down missing documents, dates you do not remember, facts you learned from someone else, and places where accounts disagree. These are questions to investigate, not details to hide.
UnknownMissingDisputedFollow-up - Step 07
Finish with questions and your desired outcome
List what you want to ask a lawyer and what outcome you are seeking. The lawyer can then explain which facts matter legally, what else is needed, and what options may be available.
QuestionsPrioritiesDesired outcome
Put the result in this order.
A consistent order makes the material easier to review. Keep originals unchanged and use your packet as an index that points back to them.
If the packet becomes long, add page numbers and a short contents list. Use neutral file names that include the date and document type.
- One-paragraph factual summary
- Event timeline
- People and roles
- Evidence inventory
- Losses and other impact
- Unknowns and conflicting information
- Questions and desired outcome
Example timeline row
- Date
- Around March 12, 2026
- Confidence
- Approximate
- Event
- Supervisor ended scheduled shift early
- People
- Employee, supervisor, coworker
- Sources
- Text message, schedule screenshot
- Open question
- Confirm exact shift end time
Four mistakes to avoid while preparing your claim summary.
Do not change original evidence
Keep original messages, photographs, files, and metadata. Make working copies if you need to annotate or rename something.
Do not turn estimates into exact facts
Write “around 3 p.m.” or “late March” when that is what you remember. False precision makes later review harder.
Do not hide inconsistent details
List both accounts or records and explain what you know about the difference. A lawyer needs the conflict, not a polished version that removes it.
Do not send sensitive records through this website
The public pilot form is for contact information only. Do not submit client names, case narratives, medical records, identifiers, or privileged documents there.
Preparing facts and evidence for a legal claim
- Can this guide write a legal claim for me?
- No. It helps you organize a factual claim summary for review. It cannot identify every applicable law, determine whether a claim is valid, calculate a deadline, choose a legal strategy, or produce filing-ready language.
- What evidence should I collect for a legal claim?
- Collect the original records connected to the events you describe, such as messages, contracts, photographs, reports, receipts, schedules, account records, and witness contact information. What matters legally depends on the claim and jurisdiction.
- Should I include facts that may weaken my claim?
- Yes. Include relevant conflicting facts, uncertainty, and missing information. A lawyer needs an accurate record to assess options and decide what follow-up is necessary.
- How long should a claim summary be?
- Keep the opening summary to one or two short paragraphs. Put detail in the timeline and evidence inventory so the reader can scan the overview and then verify specific events.
- Do I need a MatterGraph account to use this method?
- No. You can use the checklist independently in a document or spreadsheet. MatterGraph is currently designed as a law-firm-led workspace, while this public guide is available to anyone.
Where this leads next.
Keep facts, sources, and open questions connected.
See how MatterGraph turns the same organizing method into a reviewable matter record for a law firm.