“How long will this take?” is the first question most self-represented applicants ask, and the honest answer is “it depends on which tribunal, which division, and what the other side does”.
Listing times by tribunal
Listing times vary; check your tribunal’s website.
- NCAT (New South Wales) — Consumer & Commercial Division, under the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013
- VCAT (Victoria) — Civil Claims List and Building & Property List, under the VCAT Act 1998
- QCAT (Queensland) — minor civil disputes, under the QCAT Act 2009
- Magistrates Court (Western Australia) — minor cases for money claims; the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) hears some matters such as home building
- Magistrates Court (South Australia) — minor civil claims for money; SACAT hears tenancy and some other matters
- ACAT (Australian Capital Territory) — under the ACAT Act 2008
- NTCAT (Northern Territory) — under the NTCAT Act 2014
- Magistrates Court (Tasmania) — minor civil claims
What quietly adds weeks
Three things blow up timelines. A deficient application — a registry deficiency notice can add weeks while you re-file. An adjournment application — granted on consent, an adjournment can push the hearing back a full listing cycle. Service issues — if the respondent cannot be served properly, the tribunal will not proceed; substituted service applications add more time.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who is the other party?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
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The end-to-end picture
For a contested minor civil dispute that runs to hearing, expect these stages: drafting and filing, a first listing, any conciliation/directions cycle, a final hearing, and orders issuing. Listing times vary; check your tribunal’s website.
What Claim Done delivers
For a flat fee, Claim Done prepares your Tribunal Application: your claim drafted to copy into your tribunal’s form, plus a witness statement (in New South Wales, an outline you complete in your own words). A deficiency notice can add weeks, so check the application against your tribunal’s requirements before you lodge it.
What happens after the orders
If the tribunal makes a money order in your favour and the other side does not pay voluntarily, enforcement runs through the relevant local or magistrates court, and how long it takes depends on the enforcement option chosen.
File a tribunal application. Complete with witness statement.
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What changes when your case is properly prepared
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Tribunal Application drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Tribunal Application from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $97 AUD. You read and confirm the draft, then the final PDF is emailed to you. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=tribunal-application. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Tribunal Application cost, and how long does it take?
$97 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Does Claim Done lodge the application with the tribunal or court?
No. Claim Done drafts the documents; you lodge them yourself and pay the tribunal's or court's own filing fee directly to it. The draft names the right tribunal or court and Act for your state.
What does Claim Done do that a free tribunal application template doesn't?
It sets out your claim to match your state's tribunal or court application (for a New South Wales debt, a Local Court statement of claim) under the right Act, with a witness statement drafted from your account (in New South Wales, the outline NCAT requires) and the documents you mention referred to as numbered exhibits. You read every word, change it or ask for a redraft (two are included), then lodge it yourself.