How to Prepare a Hearing Bundle for QCAT Without a Solicitor

A hearing bundle is the single document that contains everything the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal needs to decide your case. Show up without one and you risk adjournment, cost orders, or losing because the member could not follow your argument.

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

This guide covers QCAT hearing bundle preparation from structure to filing, written for people representing themselves.

What is a hearing bundle and why QCAT requires one

A hearing bundle is a paginated, indexed collection of all documents relevant to your dispute: your application or response, witness statements, contracts, invoices, photos, emails, text messages, expert reports.

QCAT typically requires parties to prepare a joint hearing bundle where possible. If the other side will not cooperate, you prepare your own. File and serve it by the dates in the tribunal’s directions.

The tribunal member reads the bundle before the hearing. Poor organisation, incorrect pagination, or a missing index means the member struggles to follow your case and you lose credibility before you speak.

What goes in a QCAT hearing bundle

Your bundle must include:

• Cover sheet — case name, QCAT reference number, hearing date, your name and role (applicant/respondent)
• Index — table listing every document, page range, and brief description
• Application or response — the initiating document
• Directions orders — any orders QCAT has made during case management
• Witness statements — signed and dated
• Documentary evidence — contracts, invoices, receipts, photos, screenshots, emails, text messages
• Expert reports — if applicable (building reports, medical reports, valuation reports)
• Correspondence — relevant letters, demand letters, settlement offers
• Legislation or case law — only if you are making a specific legal argument requiring the exact text

Do not include:

• Irrelevant documents that do not prove or disprove an element of your case
• Duplicate copies
• Unsworn statements or hearsay unless admissible
• Documents you have not disclosed to the other party

How to structure and paginate the bundle

QCAT expects continuous pagination — every page numbered sequentially from 1 to the last page. Do not restart numbering for each section.

Step 1: Arrange documents in chronological order within each category

Group by type first (application, witness statements, contracts, correspondence), then arrange each group chronologically.

Step 2: Add page numbers in the bottom centre or top right corner

Use a PDF editor or print and handwrite the numbers. The index will reference these page numbers.

Step 3: Create the index

The index sits at the front, immediately after the cover sheet. List each document with description and page range. Number pages consecutively and make the index match the numbering.

Example:

Step 4: Use dividers or bookmarks

Physical bundles benefit from tabbed dividers. PDF bundles should use bookmarks so the member can jump to sections instantly.

Practical formatting tips

• Line spacing: 1.5 or double-spaced for written submissions; single-spaced for exhibits is acceptable
• Paper: A4, single-sided printing preferred (double-sided acceptable if clearly paginated)
• Binding: Ring binder, spiral bound, or bulldog clip — no staples for thick bundles

In a minor civil dispute, material filed by email cannot exceed 30 pages, and material over 30 pages must be filed in hard copy in duplicate. If you split a large bundle into volumes, label them clearly (Volume 1 of 3, Volume 2 of 3, etc.). Check your directions for any other filing requirements.

How to file the hearing bundle with QCAT

File and serve the bundle by the dates in the tribunal’s directions.

Option 1: File by email (30 pages or less)

Material of 30 pages or less can be filed by email. QCAT will not print emailed material over 30 pages, so file a longer bundle in hard copy. Check www.qcat.qld.gov.au for the filing details for your case.

Option 2: File in person

Take your copies to the QCAT registry or a Queensland Magistrates Court:

• Two for the tribunal (material over 30 pages is filed in duplicate)
• One for the other party (if they have not received it)
• One for yourself

The registry stamps and returns your copy.

Option 3: File by post

Mail two copies for the tribunal (material over 30 pages is filed in duplicate) to:

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal GPO Box 1639 Brisbane QLD 4001

Allow extra time for postal delays. The filing date is the date QCAT receives it, not the postmark date.

Serving the bundle on the other party

Give the other party a copy of your hearing bundle at the same time you file it with QCAT.

If you are preparing a joint bundle with the other party, you only file one bundle and both parties sign off on it.

If the other party refuses to cooperate, prepare your own bundle and serve it by:

• Email (if they have provided an email address)
• Registered post
• Hand delivery with a signed receipt

Keep proof of service. If the other party claims they did not receive it, you need evidence.

Common mistakes that weaken your case

No index or incorrect page references

The member flips to page 42 expecting the contract and finds a random email. Credibility lost.

Including irrelevant documents

A 300-page bundle where only 50 pages matter wastes the member’s time. Be ruthless. If a document does not prove an element of your case, leave it out.

Poor quality scans or illegible photos

If the member cannot read your invoice or see the defect in your photo, the evidence is worthless. Use a scanner app, not a phone camera held at an angle.

Missing witness statements

If you intend to rely on what someone else saw or heard, you need a signed witness statement.

Filing late

File by the dates in the tribunal’s directions. File late and QCAT may refuse to admit your evidence or adjourn the hearing at your cost.

Final checklist before you file

• [ ] Cover sheet with case name, reference number, hearing date
• [ ] Index listing every document and page range
• [ ] Continuous pagination from page 1 to the last page
• [ ] All witness statements signed and dated
• [ ] All exhibits legible and relevant
• [ ] Two copies for QCAT if the bundle is over 30 pages, plus one for the other party and one for yourself
• [ ] Filed by the dates in the tribunal’s directions
• [ ] Copy served on the other party
• [ ] Proof of service kept for your records

A well-prepared hearing bundle will not win your case on its own, but a poorly prepared one can lose it.

How Claim Done prepares the documents that go inside your bundle

Claim Done does not assemble full hearing bundles, but we prepare the documents that go inside them. Tell us what evidence you have and our Programmatic Algorithms draft structured witness statements, written submissions citing Queensland legislation, or tribunal applications. You arrange them into the bundle following this guide, then file with QCAT.

For straightforward QCAT matters where you are comfortable representing yourself, prepare a witness statement for your QCAT hearing or get written submissions citing Queensland law drafted in about five minutes. If you have not filed yet, start with a QCAT application prepared by our Programmatic Algorithms for $97 flat fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file my QCAT hearing bundle the day before the hearing?

Not unless the tribunal’s directions allow it. File and serve the bundle by the dates in the tribunal’s directions. Filing late may result in your evidence being excluded or the hearing adjourned at your cost.

Do I need a separate hearing bundle if the other party has already filed one?

Not if you agree on a joint bundle. QCAT prefers joint bundles where both parties contribute documents and agree on the index. If the other party refuses to cooperate or includes only their evidence, prepare your own bundle and file it separately.

What happens if my hearing bundle is too large to email to QCAT?

In a minor civil dispute, material filed by email cannot exceed 30 pages, and QCAT will not print emailed material over that length. File a bundle over 30 pages in hard copy in duplicate, in person or by post.

Can I add new documents to the hearing bundle on the day of the hearing?

Only with the tribunal member’s permission. If you discover new evidence after filing the bundle, you must apply to QCAT to admit it. The member will consider whether admitting it is fair to the other party and whether it could have been included earlier.

Do I need to include legislation or regulations in my hearing bundle?

Only if you are making a specific legal argument that requires the member to read the exact wording of a section. QCAT members know the legislation. Do not pad your bundle with unnecessary statutory extracts unless they are directly relevant to your case.