Free Litigation Timeline Maker — Case Dates

See it work

Litigation timeline examples.

Same tool, four requests. Every drawing below is a real render.

What you type

Create a federal civil discovery timeline with the complaint, answer, Rule 26(f) conference, scheduling order, fact discovery, plaintiff deposition, expert reports, summary judgment deadline, and final pretrial conference.

Then tryAdd a mediation on September 30.Change fact discovery to end on August 15.

Timeline · Timeline convention with era bands · schematex-timeline

Rather start from a finished drawing? Browse 95 timeline templates →

The drawing

What a litigation timeline is.

A litigation timeline is a visual chronology of the procedural stages in a case: pre-suit events, pleadings, discovery, motions, settlement conferences and trial or appeal. It gives the legal team a shared view of dates that affect the work.

Use the court's current docket and scheduling order as the source of truth. The diagram helps plan and explain the matter, but it does not replace applicable rules, orders or legal judgment.

Standard: Timeline convention with era bands
Engine: schematex-timeline
Editable: Double-click text, drag nodes
Export: SVG · PNG · PDF

Who uses it

Who uses litigation timelines.

Attorneys

A procedural overview for case strategy, hearings and client updates.

Paralegals

A dated work plan for discovery, disclosures, briefing and pretrial preparation.

Law students

A clear sequence of an appeal from judgment through briefs, argument and opinion.

How it works

How to make a litigation timeline in three steps.

Describe it

One paragraph is enough to start.

“Create a federal civil discovery timeline with the complaint, answer, Rule 26(f) conference, scheduling order, fact discovery, plaintiff deposition, expert reports, summary judgment deadline, and final pretrial conference.”

See the drawing

Drawn by the right engine.

Say what changes

Every edit keeps a version.

Add a mediation on September 30.

V2 · DRAWN FROM V1, NOTHING RETYPED

FAQ

Common questions

What is a litigation timeline?

It is a chronology of the key procedural and case events in a lawsuit, from the dispute or complaint through discovery, motions, settlement and trial or appeal.

Which dates belong on a litigation timeline?

Use the dates that control work on the matter: filing, service, pleadings, discovery cutoffs, depositions, disclosures, hearings, motion deadlines and trial settings.

Should I use rule deadlines or the scheduling order?

Use the current court order when it sets a case-specific deadline. It may change or supplement general procedural rules.

Can a litigation timeline show an appeal?

Yes. Start with the judgment, then show the notice of appeal, record, briefing, oral argument and opinion or mandate as appropriate.

Related tools