Create Detailed Timelines for Legal Matters

Preceden is an intuitive web-based timeline maker that turns a sprawling case file into a chronology you can share, present, and collaborate on.

A Preceden legal case timeline of a custody matter, with hearings, orders and filings plotted from 2019 to 2023

Create Legal Timelines With Ease

Legal matters often involve dozens of events spread over years, which makes them hard to follow. Put those events on a Preceden timeline and the case history becomes clear to your audience.

A property finance case timeline with a Lightstone Bank $440K mortgage running from 1996 to 2011, a $250K Northman Bank loan from 2003 to 2006, two construction periods, loans totaling $1.4m from 2005 to 2012 and a Bank of America $1.85m entry opening in 2006, each bar dated beneath it on an axis from 2000 to 2015

Visualize Detailed Case Histories

Event notes, approximate start and end dates, layers, images, and icons all go into building a clear legal timeline.

The Update Event dialog with Northman Bank $250K in the Name field, a June 1, 2003 start date beside Dependent and Approx. checkboxes, an end date of February 24, 2006, color and icon pickers to the right, and an empty Notes box

Share and Collaborate

Invite colleagues to edit the case timeline alongside you, then export the finished chronology as a PDF, an image, or a presentation slide, or share it with a link.

The Export & Share menu open over a property finance case timeline, offering PDF, Image, PowerPoint, Keynote, Presentation Mode, Embed, CSV and Excel, with the Bulk Editor, Appearance and Search controls on the toolbar behind it

Everything You Need to Create a Legal Timeline

Here's what attorneys can do with Preceden.

Drag and Drop

Update dates and reposition events in seconds as you build your case timeline.

Zoom

View all events at once or zoom in to focus on a narrower time period.

Connections

Highlight the relationship between key events by connecting them on your timeline.

Bulk Editor

Add and edit many events at once in a spreadsheet-like grid, instead of one at a time.

Time Support

Specify the exact times events took place to build more granular timelines.

Privacy Controls

Control who can see your timeline by making it private, password-protected, or accessible via a secret URL.

Legends

Add a legend to inform viewers what the colors you've chosen represent.

Images

Upload images or search the web for Creative Commons photos to display on your timelines.

Themes

Apply one of our built-in themes to change how a timeline looks.

Approximate Dates

Mark event dates as approximate to signal to viewers that the exact date is unknown.

Duplication

Save time by quickly duplicating events, layers, or even entire timelines.

Search & Filter

Search a crowded case timeline to show only the events you care about.

Durations

Enter a duration like "3 weeks" as the end date and Preceden will calculate the actual date for you.

Optional End Dates

Events with an end date appear as a bar; events without one appear as a single icon.

Icons

Choose from over 4,600 icons to convey what each event represents.

Notes

Attach notes to an event, a layer, or the timeline as a whole to record extra detail.

Date Picker

Pick a date from the calendar, or type it in when you want control over the format.

What Others Are Saying About Preceden

The number one thing I love about Preceden is its ability to help me organize my cases. By the time I'm done going through the files and putting all of the milestones into a timeline, I know the case inside and out. Read More

Greg Westfall

Greg Westfall

Attorney at Westfall Sellers

If you’re visually oriented, you’ll appreciate the way Preceden allows you to create layers on the timeline that help organize similar information in your chronology. You can have one layer for background information such as marriage dates, birth dates, etc. You can have a layer for settlement information to track the timing and frequency of offers. You can also have a layer for bad acts to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks when you’re preparing for a hearing. Read More

Corey Shapiro, Esq.

Corey Shapiro, Esq.

New York Divorce Attorney

FAQs about Preceden

How do I make a timeline with Preceden?

After you sign up, you'll pick a starting layout and color theme, then name the timeline (such as the name of a case). As you add events, Preceden updates the timeline visualization automatically.

Why choose Preceden?

Lawyers and others involved in legal disputes choose Preceden for its straightforward interface and visualization features, which make a detailed legal timeline quick to build. There is no complex software to learn, so you will be up and running in minutes.

Can I create a timeline for free?

Yes, you can sign up and create unlimited timelines with up to 10 events each for free. We have paid plans that let you add unlimited events and also provide more advanced functionality.

What if I have more questions?

Browse our support docs for answers, or drop us a note anytime and we'll get back to you shortly: [email protected]

Preceden for Other Kinds of Timelines

Preceden is built for more than one kind of timeline. Here's what else people use it for.