Tracking your case in a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet is a great place to start. For most people, it works right up until it doesn't. Here's when it stops being enough — and what to do when that happens.
By Clearhavn editorial · Last updated
- Have under 10 events to track and no attached photos or screenshots
- Don't have a court date or hearing coming up
- Don't need to share anything with an attorney
- Are comfortable manually formatting a chronology for review
- Are tracking for personal reference, not for court preparation
- Have a hearing scheduled and need a court-ready chronology
- Have photos, screenshots, or audio that belong with specific events
- Want to share a clean view with your attorney
- Are tired of typing into a tiny spreadsheet on your phone
- Need reminders for upcoming hearings and exchanges
Where a spreadsheet starts breaking
You started a sheet. It worked for a while. Then it didn't. Here's the pattern most people hit.
Your evidence ended up in three different places
The sheet has the description. The photos are in your camera roll. The screenshots are in Files. The text-message exports are in your email. When something happens you have to remember which row matches which photo — and when you go to court, you spend a Sunday afternoon stitching it all together.
Logging on your phone is painful
Most people start their sheet on a laptop and then try to update it after a missed exchange or a difficult conversation. Typing into a 10-column sheet on a phone, in the moment, while stressed — it doesn't happen. Things get logged days later, or not at all.
There's no clean way to print or share it
When your attorney asks for a summary, or you need a record for a hearing, you don't have a clean export. You have a sheet that you have to reformat, hide columns, fix dates, and convert to PDF. Every time. And if you share the sheet directly, the other person can edit it.
You can't see patterns
The whole point of tracking is to show patterns — repeated missed exchanges, escalation over time, recurring issues with school or medical. A spreadsheet shows you 47 rows. It doesn't tell you that 12 of them are about the same issue, or that they cluster in the last six weeks.
You're worried about who can see it
A Google Sheet means Google can see it. A shared family computer means anyone can see it. There's no quick way to hide it if someone walks into the room. Most people don't think about this until they need to — and then it's too late.
Feature comparison
Getting started
Logging events on the go
Evidence
Reminders and deadlines
Court preparation
Sharing with an attorney
Privacy and safety
Already have a spreadsheet?
Don't throw it away — it's a starting point. The free plan lets you log up to 25 events and keep the work you've already done. Most people copy in the events they already have, then start attaching evidence to the ones that need it.
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Sign up free
One case is free forever. No credit card.
- 2
Add your most important events first
Pick the 10 or 20 events that matter most for your hearing or attorney conversation. Type the title, pick a date, add a category.
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Attach the evidence that already exists
Drag in the photos, screenshots, and PDFs you already have. They live with the event from now on.
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Export when you need it
When the hearing comes up — or when your attorney asks — export a court-ready chronology in one click. (Pro feature, $12/month, cancel anytime.)
Free to start. No credit card.
One case is free forever. Upgrade to Pro when you need court-ready exports, attorney sharing, or more cases.