Someone in Queensland owes you money. Could be a mate, a tradie, a customer, a landlord, or a business. They are not paying. Here is exactly how to take them to QCAT and get your money.
First: send a Letter of Demand
QCAT wants to see that you tried to resolve it before filing. A formal Letter of Demand gives them 14 days to pay.
If they don’t pay: file with QCAT
Go to qcat.qld.gov.au and file a Minor Civil Dispute application.
Filing fees:
QCAT’s application fee depends on the amount claimed. The current fees (as at 1 July 2026) are set out in our QCAT fees 2026 guide, taken from QCAT’s fees and allowances page.
What you need to file:
- Your details and the respondent’s details
- The amount claimed
- A short description of the dispute
- Evidence: bank records, texts, invoices, contracts, your Letter of Demand
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 the other party?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
The hearing
Under QCAT Practice Direction 1 of 2026, unless the Tribunal orders otherwise, minor civil dispute claims up to $10,000 are referred to mediation and claims over $10,000 are listed for hearing. Each party must give the other a copy of the material they rely on at least five business days before the hearing. QCAT publishes its current timeframes on its own website.
If it goes to a hearing, it is informal. No wigs, no robes. You explain what happened, show your evidence, and the member makes a decision.
Enforce the order
If they are ordered to pay and do not, you register the QCAT order with the Magistrates Court and enforce it — garnishee orders, seizure of property, or examination of their finances.
Get started — $49
Claim Done drafts your Letter of Demand for $49. If they do not pay, we prepare your QCAT Application ($97) and Witness Statement ($49).
Everything is drafted for Queensland, citing the right legislation, set out for QCAT. Done in about 5 minutes. You approve it before anything is sent.
What changes when your case is properly prepared
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Tribunal Application drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Tribunal Application 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=tribunal-application. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Tribunal Application 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.
Does Claim Done lodge the application with the tribunal or court?
No. Claim Done drafts the documents; you lodge them yourself and pay the tribunal's or court's own filing fee directly to it. The draft names the right tribunal or court and Act for your state.
What does Claim Done do that a free tribunal application template doesn't?
It sets out your claim to match your state's tribunal or court application (for a New South Wales debt, a Local Court statement of claim) under the right Act, with a witness statement drafted from your account (in New South Wales, the outline NCAT requires) and the documents you mention referred to as numbered exhibits. You read every word, change it or ask for a redraft (two are included), then lodge it yourself.