Tutorial

Creating a Case Timeline Using Microsoft Planner

Posted on by Jeff Kirksey
15
Apr

Legal teams often manage matters involving deadlines, motions, hearings, and deliverables. Microsoft Planner offers a visual task management solution that supports matter-based timelines for litigation, corporate closings, tax disputes, or real estate deals. Unlike static calendars, Planner enables teams to collaborate on task cards, assign responsibilities, and track progress visually using boards and timelines.

This tutorial walks you through creating a case-based Planner board, assigning legal tasks, tracking timelines, and integrating with Microsoft Teams.

Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Case Timeline in Microsoft Planner

Step 1: Access Planner and Create a New Plan

  1. Go to https://tasks.office.com or open Planner from the Microsoft 365 App Launcher.
  2. Click “New Plan”.
  3. Name it:
    • Example: “Smith v. Jones – Case Timeline” or “M&A Closing – ABC Corp”.
  4. Choose Add to an existing Microsoft 365 Group (e.g., the litigation or corporate team).
  5. Click Create Plan.

📁 Legal Tip: Create separate plans for each active matter, allowing focused collaboration.

  1. Click Add new bucket to divide work into stages like:
    • Initial Filings
    • Discovery
    • Motions
    • Trial Prep
    • Post-Trial
  2. For corporate work, use stages like:
    • Due Diligence
    • Regulatory Filings
    • Client Signoffs
    • Closing

🗂️ Best Practice: Use buckets to mirror actual legal workflow milestones.

Step 3: Add and Assign Tasks

  1. Click + Add task under a bucket.
  2. Enter a task name like:
    • “Draft Complaint”
    • “Depose Expert Witness”
    • “File Certificate of Good Standing”
  3. Set:
    • Due date
    • Assigned user(s)
    • Priority
  4. Click Add Task.

⚖️ Collaboration Tip: Tag attorneys, paralegals, and admins for shared accountability.

Step 4: Add Details to Each Task

  1. Click a task to open it.
  2. Add:
    • Checklist (for multi-step tasks)
    • Notes (e.g., court rule citations, instructions)
    • Attachments (add link to case file in SharePoint)
  3. Set Labels (e.g., “Court Deadline”, “Client Required”, “Optional”).

📝 Compliance Tip: Label critical filings and motions to ensure they’re tracked closely.

Step 5: View by Timeline, Progress, and Member

  1. Click Schedule View to see a case timeline by due dates.
  2. Use Board View to manage tasks in stages.
  3. Use Charts View to monitor workload by attorney or category.

📊 Insight Tip: Use the Progress filters to prepare for status meetings or court reporting.

Step 6: Integrate with Teams

  1. In Microsoft Teams, go to your case team/channel.
  2. Click + Add tab > Tasks by Planner and To Do.
  3. Select the plan you just created to embed the case timeline into your workspace.

🤝 Efficiency Tip: Allows in-chat updates and real-time coordination with colleagues.

Conclusion

Microsoft Planner helps legal professionals coordinate work across teams and practice areas. By creating a case-specific board, firms can visually track deadlines, delegate tasks, and manage workflows in a centralized and collaborative format—whether for litigation, closings, audits, or due diligence.