Hearings, stages and the board
Moving a matter through its stages, and keeping the diary honest.
Written for advocates. Back to your own guides.
Reviewed 29 September 2026
Step by step
- Give every matter a stage The stage is how the board is laid out: one column per stage, every matter in the column it is actually at.
- Drag to move it On the board, drag the card to the next column. The change is written to the file’s trail with the date and who did it, so "when did this go to evidence" has an answer.
- Or change it on the file The same control is on the case file itself, for when you are already there. Both write the same trail entry.
- Mark a hearing done A past hearing that is still open keeps appearing on today’s list. Ticking it done moves it into the history where it belongs.
- Add the next date from the same screen Courts give the next date at the hearing. Entering it while you are still holding the file is the only reliable time to do it.
Worth knowing
- The board only shows matters you can see. A junior sees the chamber’s shared files, not the whole practice.
- A stage retired from the master list keeps its matters — they appear in a column of their own until you move them.
Questions
Can I add my own stages?
Stages come from the master list, which the administrator keeps. Ask for the one your practice uses; it applies to everyone.
Why is today’s hearing not in the diary below?
Today has a band of its own at the top of the dashboard, and the diary starts tomorrow, so nothing is printed twice.
Next
Case files: what goes in one
Parties, court, stage, hearings, documents and the work log — and what the client sees of it.
Calendar, and putting it on your phone
Hearings, appointments and deadlines in one place — and subscribed to from the calendar you already use.
Tracking a case in court
Find a matter in the court’s own data, keep it, and let its hearings and orders come to you.
All guides
Reviewed 29 September 2026