How to Put Text Messages Into a Word Document for Your Lawyer
Reviewed by Jacob Reed, founder of Verity ·
Short answer
Use a table with one row per message and four columns: Date, Time, Sender, Message. Copy each message word for word, write "Me" for your own, and include the whole conversation, not only the bad parts. A typed table is a summary. Keep the phone and, if you can, a real export of the conversation as the record.
Sometimes a lawyer asks for "the texts in a Word document," or there is no computer to export them with. Typing them out works if the layout is clear and nothing is left out or tidied up. Here is the layout that holds up best.
What should the document look like?
| Date | Time | Sender | Message |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/17/2026 | 3:04 PM | Me | Are you picking them up at 5? |
| 10/17/2026 | 3:10 PM | Alex | No. 7. |
| 10/17/2026 | 3:12 PM | Me | Ok. Confirming 7 tonight at the school. |
How do you build it?
1.Make a table with four columns
In Word, insert a table and type a header row: Date, Time, Sender, Message. Those exact words make the table easy for a lawyer to read and for software to sort.
2.One message per row, oldest first
Each text gets its own row. Write the date as 10/17/2026 and the time as 3:04 PM, as the phone shows them. If a message has several lines, keep them in the same cell.
3.Write "Me" for your own messages
Use "Me" for everything you sent and the same name every time for the other person. Switching between "John", "J" and "Dad" makes the record look edited.
4.Copy the words exactly
On an iPhone or Android, press and hold a message, then Copy, and paste it into the cell. Don't fix spelling, remove swear words, or add comments in the message column.
5.Mark what you can't paste
For a photo, voice note or sticker write [photo], [voice message] or [sticker] in the message cell, so the row isn't missing.
6.Keep the whole conversation
Include your replies and the ordinary messages around the bad ones. A table with only the worst lines looks cherry-picked and is easy to challenge.
Is a typed table good enough for court?
It helps your lawyer read the conversation quickly, but on its own it is your retelling. The other side can say a message was left out or changed, and you can't easily prove it wasn't. So keep the phone with the conversation untouched, take overlapping screenshots with the times showing, and export the conversation if you can. The table then points to a record that exists. See saving a whole iPhone conversation without a computer and why screenshots alone aren't enough.
Is there a faster way than typing?
For a long conversation, yes. Android phones can save every text into one backup file, WhatsApp can export a chat as a text file, and an iPhone's messages can be copied off through a computer backup, even on Windows. Each gives the exact time of every message without retyping anything; the export guides cover every app. Excel works the same as Word if you prefer it: the same four columns, then File, Save As, and pick CSV.
How can Verity help?
Verity reads a Word document laid out like the table above, as well as a .csv from Excel, and gives a numbered list of every message in date order with a free preview of the patterns in it. Separate Date and Time columns are read together, and "Me" is taken as you. The file is read in your browser and is not uploaded. Because the messages were typed, the result can only be as accurate as the typing.
This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your lawyer which format they want before you start; some prefer screenshots or a printed export instead.
Have the document ready?
Upload the .docx and get a free preview in minutes. The file is read in your browser and is not uploaded.
Analyze your document →