How to File a Tribunal Application in Queensland (QCAT) Without a Lawyer

To file a QCAT application in Queensland, lodge a minor civil dispute application (online through QCase or on Form 1 for a consumer or trader claim, Form 3 for an unpaid fixed debt), pay QCAT’s fee, then serve a sealed copy on the other party yourself (within 7 days in a consumer and trader dispute) and file Form 9, the affidavit of service. The fee depends on how much you claim, and the limit is $25,000 excluding interest.

For the forms, fees and each step, see our guide to making an QCAT application.

You do not need a lawyer to file. This guide covers the fee, which form to use, each step in order, what happens after you lodge, and the mistakes that cost people time.

What is QCAT?

QCAT is the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. For everyday money and consumer disputes it runs a minor civil dispute stream, which covers:

• Consumer and trader disputes — claims arising out of a consumer-trader or trader-trader contract, such as defective goods or services. Up to $25,000, excluding interest. A larger claim can be reduced to $25,000 to fit.
• Minor debt disputes — a fixed or agreed sum of money, up to and including $25,000.
• Residential tenancy disputes.
• Dividing fence or pool barrier disputes.
• Motor vehicle disputes — up to $100,000 against a licensed motor dealer.

Parties in minor civil disputes generally represent themselves. A lawyer or other representative needs QCAT’s permission, which it gives only if that is in the interests of justice (Form 56).

How much is the QCAT application fee?

QCAT’s minor civil dispute application fee depends on how much you claim, and is listed on QCAT’s fees and allowances page. Fees change each 1 July; check the current fee on the tribunal’s or court’s website before you file.

You pay the fee to QCAT when you lodge. A full waiver is available on Form 49 for people on a full-rate pension or benefit, people under 18, protected persons under a domestic violence order and people with legal aid; businesses and corporations are not eligible. For appeal fees and who pays what, see our QCAT fees 2026 guide.

Which QCAT form do I file?

Pick the application that matches your dispute. Using the wrong one changes what the other side has to do.

• Consumer or trader dispute: the QCase online portal, or Form 1 – Application for a minor civil dispute – consumer dispute.
• Unpaid fixed or agreed debt: Form 3 – Application for minor civil dispute – minor debt. The respondent then has 28 days from service to file Form 7, or you may ask for a decision by default.
• Residential tenancy: Form 2. Dividing fences: Form 53. Motor vehicle: Form 59. All are listed on QCAT’s forms page.

The quick test: is the amount fixed and agreed, like an invoice for work both sides accept was done? That is a minor debt. Is the argument about whether the work was defective or what it was worth? That is a consumer and trader dispute. Every form is explained in our guide to QCAT forms, from Form 1 to Form 7.

Step by step: how to file a QCAT application in Queensland

Step 1: Check QCAT can hear your claim

Your claim needs to fit the minor civil dispute limit of $25,000, excluding interest ($100,000 for a motor vehicle claim against a licensed motor dealer). You have 6 years from the incident to start, under the Limitation of Actions Act 1974. If you are owed a little more than $25,000, you can reduce the claim to fit.

Step 2: Send a letter of demand

Give the other side one clear, written chance to pay before you pay a tribunal fee. Your letter should:

• State the amount owed and why it is owed
• Refer to your evidence (invoices, contracts, photos, correspondence)
• Give a firm deadline to pay or respond
• Say that you will apply to QCAT if they do not

If they pay, you are done. If they do not, the letter becomes a dated piece of evidence you attach to your application. A Letter of Demand from Claim Done costs $49.

Step 3: Identify the respondent correctly

Name the right legal person or entity. Common mistakes:

• Naming a trading name instead of the company behind it (check the ABN Lookup or ASIC register)
• Naming an individual when the contract was with their company, or the other way round
• Misspelling the name or using an old address

An order against the wrong party is an order you may not be able to enforce.

Step 4: Gather your evidence

Collect everything that supports your claim before you lodge:

• Contracts, quotes, invoices and receipts
• Emails, text messages and letters, including your letter of demand
• Photos or videos of defective goods or work
• Bank statements showing what was paid or not paid
• Repair quotes or expert reports if the dispute is technical

Our guide to what evidence you need for QCAT goes through this by dispute type.

Step 5: Complete the application

Whether you use QCase or the paper form, you will need:

• Your details and the respondent’s full legal name and address
• A clear, factual description of what happened, in date order
• The amount you are claiming and how you worked it out
• The orders you want QCAT to make

Tips:

• Be specific. “The respondent failed to pay Invoice 1234 dated 15 March for $8,500” is better than “They owe me money”.
• Ask for precise orders. Instead of “compensation”, write “an order that the respondent pay the applicant $4,200 for repair costs”.
• Attach the key documents: the contract, the invoice, the photos, the emails.

Step 6: Lodge and pay the fee

You can apply online through QCase. On paper, you file Form 1 with three copies at a Magistrates Court or at QCAT in Brisbane, and pay the fee when you lodge.

Step 7: Serve the application

QCAT does not serve your application for you. Once QCAT accepts it, you receive sealed copies. In a consumer and trader dispute you then have 7 days to serve a sealed copy of the application and attachments on every other party. You can serve personally, by post, or through a bailiff or process server. The person who served it then files Form 9, the affidavit of service. Write down the date and method of service on the day, because in a minor debt claim the respondent’s 28 days run from that date.

What happens after you file?

• The respondent’s turn. In a minor debt claim, they have 28 days from being served to file Form 7. If they do not, you may ask QCAT for a decision by default. In consumer and trader, tenancy and dividing fence disputes they are not required to respond, but they can file a reply or evidence up to 7 days before the hearing, and they can bring a counter-application.
• Mediation or a hearing. 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, those over $10,000 are listed for a hearing, and residential tenancy disputes are 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.
• Give the other side your material before the hearing. The same practice direction says each party must give every other party a copy of all material they file and want 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.
• Directions. QCAT may issue directions, for example about filing further evidence. Follow them.
• The hearing. If the dispute does not resolve, QCAT organises an oral hearing where the parties present their case and a final decision is made.

For how long each stage takes and where to find QCAT’s published wait times, see how long QCAT takes for a consumer dispute and what happens after a QCAT application is lodged.

QCAT debt recovery: filing a minor debt claim

If someone owes you a fixed or agreed amount of up to $25,000, the minor debt application (Form 3) is usually the right fit. Its main advantage is the deadline it puts on the other side: 28 days from service to file Form 7, or you may seek a decision by default. If you win and they still do not pay, you enforce the order 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. More on this in how to take someone to QCAT for money owed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Filing before asking in writing — a letter of demand costs far less than a QCAT fee and often ends the dispute.

Choosing the wrong application — a consumer dispute filed as a minor debt, or the other way round, changes whether the respondent must answer at all.

Naming the wrong respondent — check the legal entity before you lodge.

A vague application — be specific about the amount, how you calculated it, and the orders you want.

Missing the service window — in a consumer and trader dispute you have 7 days to serve the sealed copy; then file Form 9.

Missing documents — attach the contract, invoice and key correspondence.

Not turning up — attend the mediation and the hearing, and follow any directions QCAT issues. 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.

Final checklist before you lodge

• Letter of demand sent and its deadline passed
• Claim within $25,000 (excluding interest) and within 6 years of the incident
• Correct application chosen: QCase or Form 1 for consumer and trader, Form 3 for minor debt
• Respondent’s full legal name and current address checked
• Evidence collected, labelled and attached
• Specific orders written out
• Fee ready to pay, or Form 49 completed if you qualify for a waiver
• A plan to serve the sealed copy promptly (within 7 days for a consumer and trader dispute) and file Form 9
• Copies of everything kept for your records

How Claim Done helps

Claim Done’s Tribunal Application is your claim, drafted from your answers and set out to match QCAT’s form. You choose Queensland and your dispute type, answer the questions, and tell us about your invoices, contracts, messages and photos. The draft tells the story in date order and points to the documents that prove each step.

What you get, for a flat $97:

• Your tribunal application: the parties, what happened, what you claim and the orders you want

You review the draft, then you lodge through QCase or on the paper form, pay QCAT’s fee, serve the application and file Form 9. Claim Done does not lodge, file or serve anything for you. Claim Done is not a law firm. Start your Tribunal Application or read more about the Tribunal Application service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file a QCAT application in Queensland?

The minor civil dispute application fee depends on how much you claim: from 1 July 2026 it is $96.30 for $1,000 or less, $164.30 for more than $1,000 up to $10,000, and $405.60 for more than $10,000 up to $25,000. Fees change each 1 July; check the current fee on the tribunal’s or court’s website before you file. Fee waivers on Form 49 are limited to people on a full-rate pension or benefit, people under 18, protected persons under a domestic violence order and people with legal aid.

Can I file a QCAT application online?

Yes. QCAT’s QCase online portal lets you file a consumer and trader application electronically instead of on the paper Form 1. On paper, you lodge the application with three copies at a Magistrates Court or at QCAT in Brisbane.

Who serves the QCAT application?

You do. QCAT gives you sealed copies once it accepts your application, and in a consumer and trader dispute you have 7 days to serve them personally, by post, or through a bailiff or process server. The person who served them then files Form 9, the affidavit of service.

Do I need a lawyer to file a QCAT application?

No. In minor civil disputes the parties generally represent themselves. A lawyer or other representative can appear only with QCAT’s permission, which it gives if that is in the interests of justice.

How long does a QCAT case take in Queensland?

QCAT does not give a fixed timeframe, but it publishes how long most matters of each type take to finalise on its Timeframes page. Our guide to how long QCAT takes sets out every fixed deadline along the way.

What happens if the respondent does not respond to my QCAT application?

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. In consumer and trader, tenancy and dividing fence disputes, the respondent is not required to file a response, and the matter moves on to mediation or a hearing, as QCAT directs.

Can I settle my QCAT case before the final hearing?

Yes. The parties can agree a resolution at any point. Where QCAT refers a matter to mediation, that is the built-in opportunity to settle before a hearing; under QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026, minor civil disputes up to $10,000 are referred to mediation unless the Tribunal orders otherwise.

Facts checked against QCAT’s pages on 27 September 2026. Sources: Fees and allowances (1 July 2026 fees); Consumer and trader disputes (last updated 4 August 2026); Debt disputes (last updated 29 November 2024); Application for a consumer and trader dispute (last updated 18 July 2024); Responding to an application (last updated 14 March 2023); After an application is made (last updated 20 April 2026); Appearance and representation (last updated 19 December 2024); Enforcing a QCAT decision (last updated 14 March 2023); Forms (retrieved 27 September 2026); QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026 (26 June 2026).