Reconstruct Free timeline builder
A practical evidence guide

How to create a timeline of events for a dispute

When a dispute has been going on for months, the hardest part can be figuring out what actually happened. A clear chronology helps you put the original records back in order—without filling the gaps with guesses.

Read the six-step guide Build your timeline

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The method

Build from records, not recollection alone

Your timeline does not need to settle the dispute. Its job is to make the sequence easier to understand and show where each detail came from.

  1. 01

    Gather the original records

    Bring together messages or WhatsApp chats, emails, contracts, invoices, payment records and photos. Keep the originals unchanged.

  2. 02

    Start with events you know happened

    Begin with concrete actions: a quotation was accepted, a payment was made, work started, a refund was promised or a handover occurred.

  3. 03

    Put each event on a date

    Use the date shown in the source. If you only know an approximate period, say so clearly instead of presenting it as exact.

  4. 04

    Attach or reference supporting evidence

    Note the filename, message date, invoice number, transaction reference or photo number that supports each event.

  5. 05

    Separate facts from interpretation

    Record what the source shows in “What happened?”. Put your explanation or interpretation in Notes so the difference remains visible.

  6. 06

    Mark unknowns instead of guessing

    Leave a field blank or write “unknown” when the records do not establish an answer. A visible gap is more useful than false certainty.

Free tool

Evidence Timeline Builder

Add one event per row. Leave the date blank when it is unknown, then download a copy as a CSV file.

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When the manual method stops scaling

Too many records to build this manually?

Reconstruct helps surface possible connections across messages, emails, documents and transactions—so you can review the original sources, decide what matters and confirm the final timeline yourself.

Explore the fictional Brightline demo

Uses fictional evidence. Reconstruct organises; you interpret and confirm.