Australia has some of the most plaintiff-friendly defamation laws in the common-law world. When a neighbour publishes false and damaging statements about you — to other neighbours, on the street WhatsApp group, on Facebook community pages, or to your employer — there is a clear legal route, and a Cease and Desist is almost always the right first step.
The legal context
The uniform Defamation Acts in each state and territory except Western Australia now require a serious-harm threshold (since the 2021 reforms) and require a Concerns Notice before proceedings. Damages are capped (currently around $478,550 for non-economic loss in 2026) but special damages and aggravated damages can lift that. Online publication on Facebook, Nextdoor or WhatsApp counts the same as oral statements at the letterbox — sometimes more, because they leave evidence.
Realistic outcomes
A properly drafted Cease and Desist (which can also serve as a Concerns Notice if structured correctly) often produces an apology, a deletion of the post, and an undertaking — without the need to file.
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?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Where should we send it?
The document approach
The letter must identify the defamatory imputations precisely, the publications complained of, the publishees, the harm caused, and demand removal, an apology and an undertaking within a stated period. Where it doubles as a Concerns Notice, it must comply with the statutory requirements — getting that wrong wastes the limitation period.
What Claim Done delivers ($49)
For a flat fee, our Programmatic Algorithms produce a Cease and Desist drafted to defamation principles in your name, ready to send. For matters where you intend to proceed to court, we recommend converting it into a formal Concerns Notice — we can flag this in the draft.
What to expect after
Preserve every piece of evidence (screenshots with timestamps, witness names, dates). The defamation limitation period is one year from publication — short. If the conduct continues after the letter, get specialist defamation advice promptly.
Send a formal Cease & Desist letter. Delivered in about 5 minutes.
No card until the end. No subscription.
What happens when you put it in writing — properly
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Cease & Desist drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Cease & Desist from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read the draft and approve it before anything is sent; nothing goes out without your approval. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=cease-and-desist. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Cease & Desist cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. Email delivery is free; registered post is $29 extra. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Cease & Desist in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Cease & Desist; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.