---
title: Deadlines
description: Guarding fatal dates with the four-eyes principle — creating, confirming, and following up on deadlines.
---

> Nederlandse versie: [/handleiding/termijnen](/handleiding/termijnen)

**What is this?** A **deadline** ("termijn") is a date by which something must happen at the latest — for example an appeal deadline or a court response deadline. A missed deadline can damage a case irreparably. That's why Basenet guards deadlines firm-wide and applies the **four-eyes principle** ("vierogenprincipe"): a deadline only counts as "covered" once a second person has confirmed it. The app states it literally: "Vierogenprincipe: bevestiging moet door een ander dan de opsteller." (Four-eyes principle: confirmation must come from someone other than the person who created it.) The interface is in Dutch; on-screen names are quoted below.

## How to create a deadline

![Creating a new deadline](/media/guides/deadlines-new.png)

1. Open the matter and click the **"Termijnen"** tab (or click **"Termijnen"** in the left rail for the firm-wide overview).
2. Click **"Nieuwe termijn"** (new deadline).
3. Fill in the **"Omschrijving"** (description).
4. Fill in the **"Startdatum"** (start date), the **"Termijn"** (the number), and the **"Eenheid"** (unit — **"dagen"** (days), **"weken"** (weeks), **"maanden"** (months), or **"jaren"** (years)). Basenet immediately shows the **"berekende termijn"** (calculated deadline), shifted for weekends or public holidays.
5. Choose a **"Verantwoordelijke"** (responsible person).
6. Reference the source: pick a **"Brondocument"** (source document) from the matter, or enter a manual reference. Without a source, a deadline can't be saved ("Een termijn vereist een brondocument of een handmatige referentie.", A deadline requires a source document or a manual reference.).
7. Leave **"Vereist bevestiging (vierogenprincipe)"** (requires confirmation (four-eyes principle)) ticked and click **"Termijn aanmaken"** (create deadline).

![The firm-wide deadlines overview](/media/guides/deadlines-overview.png)

## How to confirm a deadline (the second pair of eyes)

1. Open **"Termijnen"** in the left rail. An unconfirmed deadline shows the banner "Deze termijn is niet gedekt: hij moet nog worden bevestigd onder het vierogenprincipe." (This deadline is not covered: it still needs to be confirmed under the four-eyes principle.) and the flag **"Niet gedekt"** (not covered).
2. Check the description, the date, and the source document.
3. Click **"Bevestigen"** (confirm). This is only possible if you are not also the person who created it.

![A deadline flagged "Niet gedekt" (not covered), awaiting confirmation](/media/guides/deadlines-uncovered.png)

The statuses you'll encounter: **"Concept"** → **"Voorgesteld"** (proposed) → **"Bevestigd"** (confirmed), and afterwards **"Gehaald"** (met) or **"Gemist"** (missed). Deadlines that are nearly due get the flag **"Loopt binnenkort af"** (expiring soon).

## Where do you see deadlines?

- **"Dashboard"** → widget **"Aankomende termijnen"** (upcoming deadlines), showing per deadline "Bevestigd" or "Wacht op dubbele controle" (awaiting second check).
- **"Termijnen"** in the left rail → all deadlines firm-wide, with columns **"Termijn"**, **"Omschrijving"**, **"Status"**, **"Bron"**, **"Verantwoordelijke"**, and **"Dossier"**.
- The **"Termijnen"** tab of every matter.

## AI proposals for deadlines

If your firm has enabled the AI feature "Termijnen extraheren" (extract deadlines), Basenet can read matter documents and **propose** deadlines (button **"Termijnen voorstellen"**, propose deadlines, on the matter). Every proposal is set to **"Concept"** and must always still be reviewed by a human and confirmed under the four-eyes principle — a deadline is never finalized automatically.