How to Respond to a QCAT Application as a Respondent

You only have to file a response to a QCAT application if it is a minor debt claim: you then have 28 days from the date you were served to file Form 7, Response to minor civil dispute – minor debt, or the applicant may ask QCAT for a decision by default. In consumer and trader, tenancy and dividing fence disputes you are not required to file a response, but you can file a reply or evidence up to 7 days before the hearing, and you can bring a counter-application.

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

Either way, ignoring it is the worst option. The hearing still goes ahead, and a decision-maker who has only read one side has only one side to weigh. This guide covers which form applies, the deadline, how to structure your response, common defences and what happens next.

Do I have to respond to a QCAT application?

Check what kind of application you were served with. A minor debt claim (Form 3 on paper, or a minor debt dispute lodged in QCase) and a consumer and trader claim (Form 1 or QCase) carry different obligations. Go by the type of dispute named on the application, not by the form number or whether it was lodged online.

“Not required” is not the same as “safe to stay silent”. If you have a side to tell, the reply and evidence you file before the hearing are where you tell it.

What is the QCAT response form?

For a minor debt claim, the response form is Form 7 – Response to minor civil dispute – minor debt. Form 3 is the minor debt application the applicant files; Form 7 is your answer to it. In consumer and trader, tenancy and dividing fence disputes there is no response form to complete, although you can still file material in reply.

Other forms respondents are most often looking for, as listed on QCAT’s forms page:

• Form 8 – Minor civil dispute – counter application, if you have your own claim against the applicant. A counter-application carries a fee, and it is not available when the claim against you is a minor debt claim.
• Form 42 – Application to extend or shorten a time limit or for waiver of compliance with procedural requirement.
• Form 55 – Application to set aside or amend a default decision.
• Form 56 – Application for leave to be represented.

Our guide to QCAT forms, from Form 1 to Form 7 explains each one.

The QCAT response deadline: 28 days in a minor debt claim

QCAT’s responding page says the respondent has 28 days from the date they were served with the application to file a response to a minor debt application. The clock runs from service, not from the date the applicant lodged the claim, so write down the date and the way you received it.

If you miss the 28 days, the applicant can ask QCAT for a decision by default, made without hearing from you. Do not wait for that to happen. QCAT’s forms page lists an application to extend a time limit (Form 42) and an application to set aside or amend a default decision (Form 55). QCAT decides whether to grant them, so filing on time is far safer than relying on either.

What to do in the first few days

1. Identify the claim type. A minor debt claim (Form 3, or a minor debt dispute lodged in QCase) means the 28-day clock is running. A consumer and trader, tenancy or fence application means no response is required, but the matter still goes to mediation or a hearing, as QCAT directs.
2. Note the date you were served. In a minor debt claim, everything counts from it.
3. Read the application carefully. Note what the applicant says you did or failed to do, the amount claimed and how they reached it, the orders they want and the evidence they rely on. Highlight every fact you disagree with.
4. Gather your evidence. Contracts, quotes, invoices, receipts, bank statements, emails, texts and photos.
5. Decide your approach. See your options below.

Your options when you are served

Defend the whole claim

If the money is not owed, the work was done properly, or the applicant broke the agreement first, you set out your defence and the evidence behind it.

Admit part of the claim

If you owe $3,000 but the applicant claims $5,000, say so. Admitting what is true and disputing the rest narrows the fight to the part that is genuinely in dispute, and makes the rest of your account more credible.

Challenge whether QCAT can hear it

Minor civil disputes are capped at $25,000, excluding interest (motor vehicle claims against a licensed motor dealer can go to $100,000), and a claim must be started within 6 years of the incident. If the claim falls outside those limits, or the applicant has named the wrong party (for example you personally, when the contract was with your company), raise it clearly and early, with the document that shows it.

Negotiate a settlement

If the claim is largely right, or you would rather avoid a hearing, talk to the applicant and put any agreement in writing. If QCAT refers the matter to mediation, that is a built-in chance to settle. A deed of settlement records the agreed terms.

Do nothing

This is the riskiest option. In a minor debt claim it invites a decision by default. In other disputes, the hearing proceeds on the applicant’s material.

How to structure your QCAT response

Whether it is a Form 7 in a minor debt claim or a reply before a consumer hearing, a strong response follows the same structure.

1. Address each allegation

Go through the applicant’s claims one by one and say whether you admit it, deny it, or do not know. Be specific. If they say you failed to deliver on 15 March and you delivered on 18 March, say exactly that.

2. Tell your version of events

Give a short chronological account: what was agreed, what you did and when, what went wrong, and why you are not liable for what is claimed. Plain language is fine.

3. State your defence

Name the reason the claim should fail or be reduced: already paid, amount wrong, applicant breached first, out of time, outside QCAT’s limits, or a set-off. If a contract term matters, point to the clause.

4. Say what orders you want

That the application be dismissed, or that any amount be reduced to a specific figure. Be realistic: if liability is clear but the amount is inflated, concede liability and dispute the amount.

5. Attach and label your evidence

Every factual claim should point to a document. Label them clearly, for example “Attachment A: Contract dated 10 January” and “Attachment B: Email from applicant dated 15 February”, and refer to them by label in your response.

Common defences by dispute type

Debt claims

• The debt is already paid, in full or in part. Attach bank statements, receipts or payment confirmations.
• The amount is wrong — fees you never agreed to, double counting, or payments not credited. Set out the correct figure and show the calculation.
• The invoice was never agreed, or the work was not completed.
• The claim is out of time — claims must be started within 6 years.

Consumer and trader disputes

• The goods or services met what was agreed.
• The fault was caused by misuse, or by something outside your control.
• You offered a repair, replacement or refund and it was refused. Attach the offer.

Residential tenancy disputes

• The damage was there at the start of the tenancy, or is fair wear and tear. The entry and exit condition reports and dated photos are usually the key evidence.

Dividing fence disputes

• The work or cost claimed goes beyond what was agreed, or was never agreed. Keep the notices, quotes and messages exchanged.

Set-off and counter-application

If the applicant owes you money arising from the same dealings, you can say so in your response, and you can file a counter-application (Form 8) to have your own claim decided, unless the claim against you is a minor debt claim. QCAT’s rules say a counter-application can not be made in response to a minor debt claim (rule 48(3)); there you raise the set-off in your Form 7 response, or bring your own separate claim. A counter-application carries its own fee.

What evidence to include

A complete response pack usually contains:

• Your response — Form 7 in a minor debt claim, or your written reply in other disputes.
• A statement of your position — why you dispute the claim, what actually happened and why the applicant’s version is wrong or incomplete. Facts, not feelings.
• A chronology — a short, dated timeline of the key events.
• Supporting documents — contracts, invoices, receipts, bank statements, emails, texts, photos, quotes or reports, each numbered or labelled.
• Witness statements, if any — in the witness’s own words, limited to what they saw or heard, signed and dated. Only include people willing to attend if needed.

For more on building the bundle, see our guides on what evidence you need for QCAT and preparing a QCAT hearing bundle.

What happens after you respond

• 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.
• QCAT may issue directions, for example about filing further evidence. Comply with them on time.
• If the dispute does not resolve, QCAT organises an oral hearing where both parties present their case and a final decision is made.

Parties 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). See how to prepare for a QCAT hearing and how long QCAT takes.

Common mistakes respondents make

Ignoring it. In a minor debt claim that invites a decision by default. In other disputes the hearing goes ahead without your material.

Assuming “no response required” means nothing to do. If you want your side considered, file your reply and evidence at least 7 days before the hearing, and give the applicant a copy at least 5 business days before it.

Skipping mediation. 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.

A vague or emotional response. “I dispute everything” or pages about how unfair the applicant is gives QCAT nothing to work with. Stick to facts, dates and documents.

Ignoring directions. If QCAT directs you to file something or attend, do it by the date given.

Arriving with no evidence. “I’ll explain it on the day” rarely works. Bring the documents, organised and labelled.

Calling the applicant to “sort it out” in the heat of the moment. If you negotiate, do it calmly and put any agreement in writing.

After the decision

A QCAT order can be enforced in the Magistrates Court: the successful party files a copy of the order and an affidavit there, and has 6 years to enforce. 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), so the first hearing is the one to prepare for.

How Claim Done helps respondents

Claim Done’s Tribunal Response costs a flat $129. You tell us about the application you were served with and your evidence, and explain your side. You receive separate PDFs drafted from your answers: a response summary, a defence position statement, a chronology and an evidence list. In a minor debt claim, that material supports your Form 7 inside the 28 days. In a consumer and trader claim, it is the reply and evidence you file up to 7 days before the hearing.

You review the drafts before they are final, and you file them yourself. Claim Done does not lodge, file or serve anything for you, and Claim Done is not a law firm. More detail: Tribunal Response.

What to do right now

1. Check the claim type on the application: minor debt (Form 3 or QCase), or a consumer, tenancy or fence claim.
2. Write down the date you were served.
3. Gather your evidence — emails, contracts, invoices, photos, bank statements.
4. File your Form 7 within 28 days in a minor debt claim, or your reply and evidence at least 7 days before the hearing in other disputes.
5. Prepare for mediation and the hearing — know the outcome you want QCAT to order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is QCAT Form 7?

Form 7 is QCAT’s Response to minor civil dispute – minor debt. A respondent to a minor debt claim files it within 28 days of being served with the application. If it is not filed, the applicant may ask QCAT for a decision by default.

Do I have to respond to a QCAT consumer dispute?

No. QCAT says respondents in consumer and trader, tenancy and dividing fence disputes are not required to file a response. You can file a reply or evidence to support your side up to 7 days before the hearing, and you can lodge a counter-application.

What happens if I miss the QCAT response deadline?

In a minor debt claim, the applicant can ask QCAT for a decision by default, made without hearing from you. QCAT’s forms page lists Form 42 (to extend a time limit) and Form 55 (to set aside or amend a default decision). Whether either is granted is up to QCAT, so act as soon as you realise the deadline has passed.

Can I get an extension to lodge my QCAT response?

You can apply on Form 42, Application to extend or shorten a time limit. QCAT decides whether to grant it, so do not treat an extension as certain. Filing Form 7 inside the 28 days is the safe course.

Can I file a counterclaim in my QCAT response?

In a consumer and trader, tenancy or dividing fence dispute, yes: if you have your own claim against the applicant, you can file a counter-application on Form 8, Minor civil dispute – counter application. It carries its own fee. In a minor debt claim you cannot: QCAT’s rules say a counter-application can not be made in response to a minor debt claim (rule 48(3)).

How much does it cost to respond to a QCAT application?

A counter-application carries a fee. For the current application and counter-application fees, see QCAT’s fees and allowances page or our QCAT fees 2026 guide.

Do I need a lawyer to respond to a QCAT application?

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

Can I settle the dispute before the QCAT hearing?

Yes. The parties can agree a resolution at any stage. If QCAT refers the matter to mediation, that is the built-in opportunity to settle. Put any agreement in writing.

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