Along with any personal documentation, you should also keep copies of official records.

Although you might be able to retrieve them later from an email server or Slack/Microsoft Teams group, it’s better to simply keep your own copies of all official communication. If you have your own copies, then when someone decides to “accidentally delete” important records, you have a paper trail. Screenshot if you need to.

Different jurisdictions have different rules about recording devices. If you are at all unsure, look up the local laws around recording consent. For example, in British Columbia, the law for voice recording during a meeting that you are participating in is “single-party consent.” That is, anyone who cares to record who is also present is legally allowed to record without asking anyone else. This is in contrast to jurisdictions where all parties need to consent, or to single-party recordings where all parties are not present (i.e., wiretapping, bugging, etc.).

Of course, you can always take notes during a meeting. However, if it is a difficult meeting, you may want to request the assistance of an advocate who can take notes for you. Their job may simply be to provide a transcription of the proceedings. A transcription should never be altered after a meeting.

Finally, if you would like to provide your own summary of the meeting afterwards, you can write an email to the meeting participants with your summary. Beyond being prudent for record-keeping, this is often viewed as simply a proactive and polite thing to do. You might ask the other participants to approve the summary if you would like.

What does the effort of documentation get me?

The most important thing is that it gives you a clear record of your own understanding, which you can use to better understand yourself and your life. But it is also important for legal purposes. In any investigation, there is a fact-finding procedure. By having records that can be turned into a timeline, you will have established the facts of the matter according to your perception.

This is a powerful thing to do. You do not have to worry about being correct. That is for the investigator to determine. Your account will very likely conflict with other people’s accounts. That is OK. It doesn’t make you a liar. Only lying makes you a liar, not telling the truth from your viewpoint. Especially if you stick to objective facts, this will be easy.