How to Write a Statutory Demand in Australia (When They Owe You $4,000+)

Claim Done drafts your Statutory Demand for a flat $97. Answer a few quick questions and it is ready in about 5 minutes; you approve it before anything is sent.● 4,271 users over the past 30 days

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A company owes you money. You have sent invoices. You have called. You might have even sent a letter of demand. They are still not paying.

If the amount is $4,000 or more and the debtor is a company (Pty Ltd, Ltd, or any registered company), you have a powerful tool most people do not know about: a Statutory Demand under the Corporations Act 2001.

What makes a statutory demand so effective

A statutory demand is not just a letter. It is a formal legal notice that gives the company 21 days to pay. If they do not pay or apply to set it aside, you can apply to wind up the company — essentially, shut it down.

No company director wants that. The moment a statutory demand lands, it becomes the most urgent item on their desk.

When to use it

The debtor is a registered Australian company (check on ASIC)
They owe you $4,000 or more
The debt is not genuinely disputed (they owe it, they just are not paying)
You have already tried a letter of demand with no result

Free · 30 seconds

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 this about?

Give us a name — even a first name or business name is fine.

2. How much is at stake?

3. Do you have it in writing?

Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)

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Leave it blank to see your result now. Add your email and we also send you the result and your next step, so you can come back to it. No spam, no list.

Continue to your $97 Statutory Demand →

Your answers are carried across — you will not have to type them again. You read and confirm it before it is final. Nothing is sent to anyone else. No card needed to start.

What happens next

After receiving a statutory demand, the company has 21 days. They will either pay in full, negotiate a payment plan, or apply to court to set the demand aside (which only works if they have a genuine dispute about the debt).

In practice, most statutory demands result in payment within the 21 days. Directors know that failing to respond creates a presumption of insolvency.

Statutory Demand — $97You review it first · Nothing is sent to anyone else · Ready in about 5 min

4,271 users over the past 30 days

Served at the registered office, with 21 days to pay, for a debt that is not genuinely disputed.

I'll draft your Statutory Demand right now. Who is this about?

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What our Statutory Demand includes and costs

Get yours drafted

Claim Done drafts your Statutory Demand for $97. We prepare the Form 509H compliant with the Corporations Act, including the affidavit verifying the debt. You sign it in front of a JP and serve it on the company. Done in about 5 minutes.

What a statutory demand does

Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.

Before — doing it yourself

The invoices are overdue and the company keeps stalling.

Reminders and calls go nowhere.

You are not sure the company can pay at all.

Nobody disputes the debt, but nothing is paid.

→

After — a formal Statutory Demand

You serve the demand at the company's registered office.

It states the debt and gives the company 21 days to pay.

The company can apply to set it aside within those 21 days.

If it does neither and you apply to wind it up within 3 months, the court must presume it insolvent.

Start mine — $97 →Drafted in about 5 minutes. You read and confirm it before it is final. Nothing is sent to anyone else.

For an undisputed company debt of $4,000 or more.

Serve a statutory demand on the company.

A Statutory Demand requires the company to pay within 21 days. If it does not pay, or apply to set the demand aside, within 21 days, and you apply to wind it up within 3 months after that, the court must presume it is insolvent. It suits a debt that is not genuinely disputed. Drafted from your answers in about 5 minutes for $97: the demand (Form 509H) and the supporting affidavit, for you to serve at the company's registered office. You read and confirm it before it is final. Nothing is sent to anyone else.

The 21 days only start when you serve it. The 21 days start only when the demand is served. Serve it as soon as it is signed and the affidavit is sworn.

Start My Statutory Demand — $97 →No card needed to start.

What our Statutory Demand includes and costs

✓ You review it first · Nothing is sent to anyone else✓ Ready in about 5 min✓ Stripe secured

Statutory Demand$97 · ready in minutes · no card to start

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Getting it drafted

Can I have a Statutory Demand drafted for me instead of writing it myself?

Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Statutory Demand 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=statutory-demand. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

How much does a Statutory Demand 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.

Do I need a lawyer to send a Statutory Demand in Australia?

No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Statutory Demand; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.