Receiving a Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) application as the respondent is unsettling, but the early days matter more than the hearing itself. The applicant has chosen QCAT because it is faster and cheaper than the District Court — that same speed cuts both ways. If you do nothing, QCAT can make orders against you in your absence under the default-judgment provisions of the QCAT Act 2009 (Qld).
The legal framework
QCAT operates under the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009. Minor civil disputes (debts, consumer claims, residential tenancy) sit under section 11 and are typically allocated 28 days for a response, although the directions notice you receive will state the exact deadline. QCAT mirrors equivalent state tribunals — NCAT in NSW, VCAT in Victoria, SAT in WA, SACAT in SA, ACAT in the ACT, NTCAT in the NT, and the Magistrates Court in Tasmania (which handles minor civil claims directly).
Common pitfalls in the first 14 days
Three traps catch most respondents. Ignoring it — QCAT will list the matter and can issue default orders if no Response is filed. Phoning the applicant to “sort it out” — anything you say can be put before the tribunal, often without context. Filing a one-paragraph denial — a bare “I dispute everything” gives QCAT no factual basis to dismiss the claim and locks you into a hearing you could have shortened with a properly-pleaded Response.
What the document does
A QCAT Response (Form 7 for minor civil disputes, or the relevant Response form for your division) sets out which paragraphs of the application you admit, deny, or do not know about, and pleads any counterclaim or set-off you intend to rely on. Done properly, it narrows the issues, signals to the tribunal you are organised, and sometimes prompts the applicant to discontinue or settle before the hearing.
What Claim Done delivers
For a flat $79, Claim Done drafts your Tribunal Response as a QCAT-compliant package — paragraph-by-paragraph admissions and denials, any counterclaim properly framed under the QCAT Act, your supporting evidence indexed, and a cover letter referencing the QCAT file number. About 15 minutes in the wizard, no solicitor appointment, ready to file or upload through the QCAT portal.
What happens after
QCAT will list a directions hearing or move straight to a hearing depending on the complexity of the dispute. If the matter proceeds, the next document you typically need is a Hearing Bundle — your evidence indexed, paginated, and cross-referenced to your Response — which Claim Done also drafts as a flat-fee service.