QCAT sets no single timeframe for a consumer dispute: its Timeframes page (last updated 16 March 2026) publishes, for each dispute type, the number of weeks within which about three quarters of matters were finalised over the past twelve months, so check the “Consumers, traders and businesses” row under Minor Civil Disputes. What you can plan around are the fixed steps: you serve within 7 days of receiving your sealed application, the respondent can file a reply or evidence up to 7 days before the hearing, and each party must give the others its hearing material at least 5 business days before the hearing.
For the forms, fees and each step, see our guide to making an QCAT application.
This article sets out each stage of a QCAT consumer dispute in order, which deadlines are fixed, what slows a case down, and how to keep yours moving.
What is a QCAT consumer dispute?
A consumer and trader dispute is a minor civil dispute about a claim arising out of a consumer-trader or trader-trader contract. Common examples include:
- Defective goods or services the seller refuses to repair, replace or refund
- Work that was not done as agreed
- A deposit or refund that was never paid back
QCAT cannot decide consumer and trader claims worth more than $25,000, excluding interest, although a bigger claim can be reduced to $25,000 to fit. Motor vehicle disputes against a licensed motor dealer can go up to $100,000.
How long does QCAT take? Where to find the official wait times
QCAT’s page on what happens after an application is made says the wait for a hearing can depend on the complexity of the case, whether the parties comply with directions, and the availability of a venue. It points to the Timeframes page for hearing wait times and notes that the figures are an average only.
On the Timeframes page (last updated 16 March 2026), check these rows under Minor Civil Disputes:
- Consumers, traders and businesses — for consumer and trader claims
- Minor debt disputes — for unpaid fixed or agreed debts
- Dividing fence disputes
- Residential tenancy disputes — listed separately as urgent and non-urgent
QCAT explains that about a quarter of matters take longer than the figure shown, and some take considerably longer depending on their complexity and size. Treat any single number you read elsewhere, including a promise of a few months, with caution.
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QCAT consumer dispute timeline, stage by stage
| Stage | Who acts | Time limit set by QCAT’s pages |
|---|---|---|
| Before you apply | You | Start within 6 years of the incident |
| Lodge the application (QCase or Form 1) and pay the fee | You | None; QCAT gives you sealed copies once it accepts the application |
| Serve the respondent and file Form 9 | You | 7 days to serve the sealed copy |
| Respondent’s reply or evidence | Respondent | No response is required; any reply or evidence up to 7 days before the hearing |
| Mediation | Both parties | Under QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026, claims up to $10,000 are referred to mediation and claims over $10,000 go to a hearing, unless the Tribunal orders otherwise |
| Give your hearing material to every other party | Both parties | At least 5 business days before the hearing |
| Final oral hearing and decision | QCAT | Set by QCAT; see the Timeframes page |
| Application for leave to appeal | Either party | 28 days; if leave is granted, appeal within 21 days |
| Enforcing the order | Successful party | 6 years |
Stage 1: Before you apply
Put your complaint in writing to the trader, say exactly what you want (repair, replacement, refund or a sum of money) and give a firm deadline. Keep copies of everything. If the trader does not fix it, that written demand becomes part of your evidence. You have 6 years from the incident to start a QCAT claim, but evidence and memories fade long before that. A Letter of Demand ($49) puts the demand in writing in one step.
Stage 2: Lodging your application
You can apply online through QCase, or file Form 1 – Application for a minor civil dispute – consumer dispute with three copies at a Magistrates Court or at QCAT in Brisbane. You pay the fee when you lodge. Fees change each 1 July; check the current fee on the tribunal’s or court’s website before you file. See our QCAT fees 2026 guide and how to file a QCAT application.
Common delay: an unclear application. A claim with a precise amount, a clear timeline and the key documents attached is easier for everyone, including the other side, to deal with.
Stage 3: Serving the respondent (7 days)
QCAT does not serve the application for you. Once QCAT accepts your application it gives you sealed copies, and you have 7 days to serve a sealed copy of the application and attachments on every other party, personally, by post, or through a bailiff or process server. The person who served it then files Form 9, the affidavit of service.
Common delay: service problems. Serve promptly, record the date and method on the day, and file Form 9.
Stage 4: The respondent’s reply
In a consumer and trader dispute the respondent is not required to file a response. They can file a reply or evidence up to 7 days before the hearing, and they can bring a counter-application. This is different from a minor debt claim, where the respondent has 28 days from service to file Form 7, and the applicant may ask for a decision by default if they do not. See how to respond to a QCAT application.
Stage 5: Mediation (claims up to $10,000)
QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026 (dated 26 June 2026) says that, unless the Tribunal orders otherwise, minor civil disputes up to $10,000 are referred to mediation and those over $10,000 are listed for a hearing. If mediation does not resolve the dispute, the application is listed for a hearing. QCAT’s consumer and trader page (last updated 4 August 2026) still describes a $1,500 threshold, so go by the directions QCAT sends you.
Mediation is a chance to settle without waiting for a hearing. If you reach an agreement, it is recorded in writing. Attend it. Practice Direction 1 of 2026 says that if a party does not attend mediation without reasonable excuse, the Tribunal can make orders in their absence, including dismissing the application or making final orders in favour of a party.
Stage 6: Directions
QCAT may issue directions, for example about what each party must file and by when. Follow them exactly. Missing a direction is one of the delays QCAT itself names.
Stage 7: The final hearing and decision
QCAT organises for the parties to attend an oral hearing, where each side presents its case and a final decision is made. Each party must give every other party a copy of all material it wants to rely on at least 5 business days before the hearing, unless QCAT orders otherwise; QCAT will not do this for you, and uploading to QCase is not enough. Prepare your evidence in one organised bundle; see how to prepare for a QCAT hearing.
After the decision: appeals and enforcement
There is no automatic appeal from a minor civil dispute decision. You need leave (permission) from the QCAT Appeal Tribunal, applied for within 28 days, and if leave is granted the appeal must follow within 21 days. The application for leave to appeal carries its own fee. Fees change each 1 July; check the current fee on the tribunal’s or court’s website before you file.
If the other side does not comply with the order, you enforce it in the Magistrates Court by filing a copy of the QCAT order and an affidavit. QCAT says it is free to file them, and you have 6 years to enforce.
What slows QCAT cases down?
Complexity. QCAT lists the complexity of the case as a factor in how long a hearing takes to come around. Technical disputes, such as building defects, usually need more evidence.
Not complying with directions. Also named by QCAT. Late or missing material can hold a matter up.
Venue availability. The third factor QCAT names, and the one you cannot control.
Poor evidence. Missing receipts, photos or contracts make a case harder to decide.
Adjournment requests. If a hearing has to be moved, the case waits for a new date.
How to avoid unnecessary delays
Prepare a complete application up front. Include all supporting documents, a clear timeline of events and a specific remedy.
Serve within 7 days and file Form 9. Record the date and method of service on the day.
Respond to QCAT immediately. If QCAT asks for information or documents, provide them by the date given.
Attend everything. Mediation and the hearing both need you there.
Get technical evidence early. If your claim involves defects, obtain a written report or repair quote before the hearing.
Take settlement seriously at mediation. A reasonable offer at mediation can end the dispute without waiting for a hearing.
How Claim Done helps with QCAT applications
Claim Done’s Tribunal Application is your claim, drafted from your answers and set out to match QCAT’s form, for a flat $97. You tell us what evidence you have and answer a short set of questions; the draft sets out what happened in date order, what you are claiming and the orders you want. You review it, then you lodge through QCase or on Form 1, pay QCAT’s fee, serve the application and file Form 9. Claim Done does not lodge, file or serve anything for you, and Claim Done is not a law firm.
Start your tribunal application with Claim Done. If you have been served with a claim, the Tribunal Response ($129) drafts your response summary, defence position statement, chronology and evidence list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a QCAT hearing date?
QCAT does not set one timeframe. Its Timeframes page gives, for each dispute type, the number of weeks within which about three quarters of matters were finalised over the past twelve months, and its after-application page says the wait depends on complexity, compliance with directions and venue availability.
Can I speed up my QCAT consumer dispute?
You cannot jump the queue, but you can avoid adding to it: serve within 7 days, file Form 9, follow every direction, give the other side your material at least 5 business days before the hearing, and attend mediation and the hearing.
Does every QCAT consumer dispute go to mediation?
No. Under QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026, minor civil disputes up to $10,000 are referred to mediation and those over $10,000 are listed for a hearing, unless the Tribunal orders otherwise. QCAT’s consumer and trader page still describes a $1,500 threshold, so follow the directions QCAT sends you.
What happens if the other party does not respond to my QCAT application?
In a consumer and trader dispute, the respondent is not required to file a response, so the matter carries on to mediation or a hearing. In a minor debt claim, if the respondent does not file Form 7 within 28 days of being served, you may ask QCAT for a decision by default.
How long do I have to start a QCAT consumer claim?
6 years from the incident, under the Limitation of Actions Act 1974.
Can I appeal a QCAT decision if I lose?
Only with leave from the QCAT Appeal Tribunal. You apply within 28 days, and if leave is granted the appeal must be made within 21 days. Appeals from minor civil disputes do not go straight to a court.
How long do I have to enforce a QCAT order?
6 years. You file a copy of the QCAT order and an affidavit in the Magistrates Court, and QCAT says filing them is free.
Facts checked against QCAT’s pages on 27 September 2026. Sources: Consumer and trader disputes (last updated 4 August 2026); Application for a consumer and trader dispute (last updated 18 July 2024); After an application is made (last updated 20 April 2026); Responding to an application (last updated 14 March 2023); Fees and allowances (1 July 2026 fees); Appealing a QCAT decision (last updated 14 March 2023); Enforcing a QCAT decision (last updated 14 March 2023); Timeframes (last updated 16 March 2026); QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026 (26 June 2026).
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What changes when your case is properly prepared
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