What a court chronology is

A chronology is a short, dated list of the events that matter in your case, in the order they happened, with a reference to where the evidence for each event can be found in the court bundle. In family proceedings it is one of the “preliminary documents” placed at the front of the bundle so the judge can quickly see what happened and when, before reading the statements and reports in detail.

Who needs one

Practice Direction 27A applies to court bundles in family proceedings in England and Wales. Where a bundle is required, an agreed, up-to-date chronology is expected for a final hearing and in other cases where the case summary is not sufficient. The party preparing the bundle is normally responsible for including it. If you are representing yourself (a litigant in person) and the court has asked you to prepare the bundle, or to produce a chronology, this tool helps you lay it out in the expected form.

Financial remedy cases and other family cases

PD27A deals with the two groups of cases separately, and the wording differs slightly.

Financial remedy proceedings (Chapter 6): the preliminary documents include an agreed, up-to-date composite chronology (paragraph 6.6(d)). Each preliminary document must be as short and succinct as possible and state the hearing date immediately below the heading (paragraph 6.7). The chronology should be cross-referenced to the relevant bundle pages (paragraph 6.8). For a final hearing, and so far as practicable for any other hearing, it must be a single document agreed by all parties, with any disagreement and the differing contentions set out in the document (paragraph 6.9).
Other family proceedings, including private law children cases and public law proceedings (Chapter 7): an agreed, up-to-date chronology is a preliminary document for a final hearing or where the case summary is insufficient, with each entry limited, if practicable, to one sentence and cross-referenced to the relevant bundle pages (paragraph 7.10(f), and 7.6(e) in public law). Each preliminary document must state the date it was prepared and the hearing date below the heading (paragraph 7.13), be cross-referenced to the bundle if practicable (paragraph 7.14), and for a final hearing be a single agreed document showing any disagreement (paragraph 7.15, and 7.7A in public law).

Choose the type of proceedings in the tool and the guidance and checks shown will match the relevant chapter.

What goes in each entry

Date — written day first (12/01/2026 means 12 January 2026). Where you only know the month or year, say so rather than guessing a day.
Event — a neutral, factual statement of what happened. In children and other non-financial cases, aim for one sentence where practicable.
Bundle reference — the section and page number(s) where the evidence sits, for example C12–C14. The tool reminds you when a reference is missing, and lets you dismiss the reminder for entries that genuinely have none.
Status — leave unmarked, or mark the entry agreed or disputed. A disputed entry can carry the applicant’s and respondent’s positions so the disagreement appears at the right place in the document.

Length and formatting

Unless the court has specifically directed otherwise, a chronology in the bundle is limited to 10 pages (or 10 sheets of A4 in a paper bundle) under paragraph 8.1. The tool shows a conservative page estimate and warns as you approach the threshold; your browser’s print preview shows the real page count. If the court has given you a different limit, change the warning threshold — this changes only the warning, not the rule.

For the document itself, PD27A says that wherever possible documents should be in no smaller than 12 point font, with 1.5 or double line spacing, margins on each side, in Arial or Times New Roman (paragraphs 11.2(k)–(l) for e-bundles and 12.2(b)–(d) for paper bundles, which also specify A4). These are the tool’s defaults, and you can switch between the permitted sizes, spacings and typefaces.

How to build your chronology with this tool

Pick the type of proceedings and, if you like, fill in the case details.
Add each event with its date, a short description and the bundle page reference.
Mark agreed and disputed entries, recording both positions where they differ.
Use Sort oldest first to order entries by date; use Restore my order if you prefer the order you arranged.
Check the summary for unrecognised dates, missing references and long entries.
Review the preview, then print or save as PDF for the bundle.

Printing, PDF and Word

Print or save as PDF opens your browser’s print dialog with the document set to A4 portrait with 20 mm margins; table headings repeat on each page and the printed document carries no branding or watermark. Export CSV gives you a spreadsheet of your entries. A blank Word template is free to download. An editable Word (.docx) version of your completed chronology is part of the existing Premium upgrade (£12.99 once) and, like everything else here, is generated in your browser.

Privacy: your case details stay on your device

Chronologies often contain sensitive information about children, health, finances and allegations. This tool saves your work in your browser’s own storage on your device so you can return to it. It does not upload what you type to our servers, and the page switches off the session-recording and interaction-tracking tools used elsewhere on this site. We count only that the page was opened and which export buttons were used, never the content. Remember that anyone with access to your browser profile can see saved data, and clearing browser data will delete it — so download a backup, and delete saved data when you have finished on a shared device.

Official sources

Practice Direction 27A – Family Proceedings: Court Bundles — Supplements FPR Part 27. The consolidated text states it comes into force on 2 March 2026.
Preparing Court Bundles for Family Proceedings: Guide for Litigants in Person (Judiciary) — Published by the Office of the President of the Family Division on 2 March 2026.

The paragraph numbers quoted on this page were last checked against these sources on 9 October 2026. Always check the latest court rules and any specific directions made in your case. A court order or direction may require something different from the general guidance shown here.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a court-approved template?: No. There is no official template for a chronology. This tool follows the published Practice Direction 27A defaults (A4, 12 point, 1.5 or double spacing, Arial or Times New Roman, a 10-page limit) and the structure described in the Judiciary's guide for litigants in person. Always check the current rules and any directions made in your case.
Does the tool store my case details?: Only in your browser, on your device, so you can come back to it. Nothing you type is uploaded to our servers. Download a backup file and use "Delete all saved data on this device" when you have finished, especially on a shared computer.
What if I only know the month or year of an event?: Type what you know, such as "March 2024", "2019", "c. 2018" or "Spring 2023". Ranges like "12/03/2024 – 15/03/2024" also work. If a date cannot be read it is kept in a separate "dates to be confirmed" section until you fix it or choose to keep it in place.
Can I show that the other party disagrees with an entry?: Yes. Mark the entry as disputed and record each party's position. PD27A asks for the fact of any disagreement and the differing contentions to be set out in the document itself.
What is free and what is Premium?: Building, saving on your device, printing, saving as PDF, exporting CSV, backups and the blank Word template are free with no account. Downloading your finished chronology as an editable Word (.docx) file is part of the existing £12.99 one-time Premium upgrade. The Word file is generated in your browser too.
Does it work for Scotland, Northern Ireland or civil cases?: It is designed for family proceedings in England and Wales under Practice Direction 27A. Other jurisdictions and civil courts have their own rules and the guidance shown here will not apply.

Not legal advice

This tool helps you organise and format a chronology. It is not legal advice. Simple Timeline Maker is not a law firm and is not affiliated with HM Courts & Tribunals Service or the judiciary. If you need advice about your particular circumstances, consider obtaining help from a qualified legal adviser or a relevant support organisation. Looking for a visual timeline instead? Try the timeline maker.