Investigate facts

I have a set of transaction logs, witness statements and dated file stamps that don't line up. Assemble a clean timeline in the spreadsheet so I can show counsel where the inconsistencies are. Put the earliest timestamp in column A, source (who produced it) in B, statement summary in C, evidence type in D, and a flag in E where timestamps or authors conflict. Leave the original raw rows on a hidden sheet for reference and mark any rows with missing dates in red so I can pull them for follow-up.

Before I hand this to the litigation team, make the timeline obvious to a lawyer who only skims. Surface the three biggest discrepancies at the top, show the chain of custody for the two items with altered timestamps, and add one-line reasons why each discrepancy matters for credibility. Hide technical columns they don't need but leave a button or visible cell that expands the hidden details if they ask.

Two documents from our client folder share the same filename but claim different last-modified dates and different authors. I can't tell whether one is a later revision or an erroneous copy. The people involved are the junior paralegal who handled intake and the external vendor who scanned originals. I'm worried we missed a tampering event and I haven't told counsel yet. What's the most likely cause and what should I show counsel first?

Across cases we waste hours rebuilding timelines when single misdated files appear. Help me change the habit: recommend one durable workflow for ingesting new documents so I stop redoing work. Tell me the one required check to run on new files, how to record it in the spreadsheet, and one team rule to prevent backtracking.