If your chatlog is updating after skill animations, then that's definitely a major issue. I'd only be throwing out guesses as to why it's happening, but provided it works without any hiccups the chatlog is indeed very much on-time and provides more than a fair warning for dodging attacks.

I can honestly say people having lag issues with their log to such an extent are a minority given the scope of players I've done these instances with and instructed to use the log.