AddSC
Timeline & Evidence4 min readUpdated Aug 3, 2026

Timeline best practices

Habits that keep your chronology accurate, calm, and ready for export or discussion with counsel.

Overview

A strong Timeline is factual, dated, and supported. These practices help you maintain that standard as documents arrive — without turning Timeline into a diary of opinions.

Why this feature exists

Under stress it’s easy to over-annotate or leave chaos for later. Clear habits keep Timeline trustworthy when you need it most.

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Capture facts, not arguments

    Write event titles that describe what happened or what was filed — leave advocacy for conversations with your lawyer.

  2. 2

    Verify critical dates against sources

    For hearings, deadlines, and orders, open the linked document and confirm the date before you rely on it.

  3. 3

    Link evidence early

    Attach supporting materials when you create or accept an event so you never hunt later.

  4. 4

    Review after each upload batch

    Short, regular reviews beat one overwhelming cleanup before export.

  5. 5

    Prepare for sharing

    Before Export, remove duplicates, confirm order, and make sure key events have sources.

Best practices

  • Use consistent naming (for example, “Filed response” vs. many creative synonyms).
  • Separate unknown dates carefully — don’t invent precision you don’t have.
  • Keep personal notes distinct from dated factual events when possible.

Productivity tips

  • Start sessions on Timeline for one minute before diving into new uploads.
  • Create tasks from timeline gaps (“Request complete order”) instead of leaving mental reminders.

Common mistakes

  • Turning every email into a timeline event regardless of importance.
  • Leaving court-critical dates unverified.
  • Building Timeline only in Ask Sera without confirming in the Timeline view.

Frequently asked questions

How detailed should my Timeline be?

Detailed enough to tell the story and support key claims — not so granular that every trivial message becomes an event. Focus on moments that matter.

Should I include future deadlines?

Yes. Known future dates belong on Timeline so they stay visible alongside past events and related tasks.

Screenshots

Illustration placeholder — product screenshot coming soon.

Timeline best practices screenshot placeholder

Helpful links

Related articles

  • Working with Timeline

    Build and refine a clear chronology of what happened — dates, events, and the documents that support them.

  • Linking evidence

    Connect documents to timeline events so every important moment has a clear source.

  • Duplicate timeline events

    Find and clean repeated timeline entries so your chronology stays accurate and easy to share.

  • Exporting your case

    Create a downloadable package of your case materials when you’re ready to share or keep an offline copy.

Was this helpful?