How to write a chronology for court, step by step.
A chronology is your story in date order, written so a court can follow it. Here is the short version: eight steps to write one that is clear, factual and easy to check, with a worked example and a free template.
This page is the practical, numbered version. For the longer explainer, what a chronology is and what to leave out, see the guide. If you would rather start from a blank structure, use the chronology template, or do the whole thing in the builder and let it handle the date order for you.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your matter, speak to a qualified lawyer, Legal Aid, or a community legal centre.
The eight steps
Work through them in order. Each one takes a minute once your papers are in front of you.
1. Gather your dates and documents
Pull together everything that carries a date: messages, emails, letters, medical records, receipts and bank statements. Having them in front of you makes the rest quick.
2. Make one row per event
Give each event its own row with three parts: the date, a short line on what happened, and where it comes from. One event, one line.
3. Write it as a neutral fact
State what happened, not what it means or how it felt. Your interpretation and argument belong in your affidavit, statement or submissions, not here.
4. Note your evidence
Beside each event, name the document that proves it: "text message, 14 Mar", "GP letter", "bank statement". A reader can then go straight from the date to the proof.
5. Use an approximate date if unsure
Cannot recall the exact day? Give your best estimate and write "approximately", or use a range like "early March 2026". A rough date beats a missing event.
6. Keep it to what is relevant
Include the events that bear on the issues and leave the rest out. A short, focused chronology is easier to follow and harder to pick apart.
7. Put it in date order
Arrange every entry from earliest to latest so the sequence is clear. In the builder this happens on its own as you add each event.
8. Check it and save a copy
Read it through for wrong dates and typos, then save or print a clean copy for court or your lawyer. Keep the original for yourself.
A quick test for each row: if it is a fact with a date, it belongs. If it is how you feel about the fact, it goes in your statement instead. For something that was said but you cannot recall word for word, courts use "words to the effect of".
Worked example: what a chronology looks like
Here are the eight steps applied to a small, made-up matter: a tradesperson chasing an unpaid invoice. Notice that each row is one event, the wording is neutral, the evidence is named beside each entry, and the one date the writer could not pin down is marked "approximately".
| Date | What happened | Source / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 2026 | Quoted $2,400 to repaint the front fence. The customer accepted the quote by text message the same day. | Written quote; text message, 15 Jan |
| 3 Feb 2026 | Finished the work and sent invoice #114 for $2,400, payable in 14 days. | Invoice #114; photos of the finished fence |
| Approx. mid-Feb 2026 | Spoke to the customer by phone. He said, words to the effect of, that he would pay by the end of the month. | File note of the call |
| 2 Mar 2026 | Sent a written reminder that invoice #114 was overdue. | Email to customer, 2 Mar |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Sent a letter of demand giving 14 days to pay. | Letter of demand, 18 Mar; postage receipt |
| 6 Apr 2026 | Lodged a claim for the unpaid invoice in the local court's small claims division. | Claim form and filing receipt |
Example only. The dates, events, amounts and evidence above are made up to show the format.
Six rows tell the whole story, and a registrar can move from any date straight to the document behind it. Your matter will have its own events, but the shape stays the same: date, fact, evidence.
Download the free chronology template
The same three-column layout as the example, blank and ready to fill in. Take whichever format suits you:
- Word template (.docx), to type straight into.
- PDF template, to print and fill in by hand.
- The online builder, which sorts the rows into date order for you and runs entirely in your browser.
The chronology template page has the full notes on using it.
Where this comes from
The primary sources behind the above, so you can check any of it yourself rather than take our word for it:
- Legal Aid NSW, the state body that provides free legal information, advice and representation, and publishes plain-English guides for people running their own matter.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the court that deals with most family law matters outside Western Australia, and publishes its own forms and procedural material.
- Wikipedia: Chronology, a general explanation of what a chronology is and how events are arranged in order.
- Wikipedia: Affidavit, a general explanation of what an affidavit is and how it differs from argument.
Common questions
How long should a chronology be?
As long as it needs to be to cover the events that matter, and no longer. Many run to a page or a few pages, and a complex matter may be longer. Judge it by relevance, not length.
Should I include my opinions?
No. A chronology is facts in date order. Your views, feelings and arguments belong in your affidavit, statement or submissions, not in the chronology.
What if I do not know the exact date?
Give your best estimate and mark it "approximately", or use a date range. Recording the event with a rough date is better than leaving it out. For recalled speech, courts often use "words to the effect of".
Do I give it to the other side?
It depends on the court, the stage of your matter, and any orders. A chronology filed with the court is usually shared with the other party. If you are unsure whether or when to serve it, ask the court registry or a lawyer.
What does a chronology for court look like?
A three-column table: the date, one plain sentence of what happened, and the source or evidence that proves it, with the rows sorted oldest to newest. The worked example on this page shows six rows of a made-up unpaid-invoice matter in exactly that shape, and the free template gives you the same layout blank.
Write yours now.
Add your first event and the builder handles the date order, year grouping and a clean export you can take to court.