1. Before you respond
When you complete the response form in a minor debt dispute, do the following:
- confirm if you admit or dispute the allegations in the application
- provide your reasons why you admit or dispute the allegations in the application
- include any supporting documentation or evidence as required
When responding to a minor debt application, you must file and serve your response within 28 days of receiving the original application.
A minor debt response must be given to all other parties in the matter.
2. Fees
There is no prescribed fee for lodging a response to a minor debt application.
3. Complete and lodge online (Brisbane only)
If you live in Brisbane, QCAT now offers an online portal for you to securely file applications, referrals or documents electronically, view, manage and respond to your case. This fully-digital case management system makes filing and managing your case easier and more accessible by allowing you to:
- view case information and documents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; access via desktop, laptop, mobile phone, and tablet
- receive case updates and notifications in real time
- lodge documents any time on any day of the week
4. Complete and lodge manually
If you live outside of Brisbane, or you cannot access the QCase portal, you can respond to a minor debt application using the below PDF or online form. Carefully read the form instructions, answer each question and tick an appropriate box when prompted.
When filing a paper response (not online), you are required to file the response and supporting material along with three copies, plus one extra copy for every additional party named in the dispute, in one of the following ways:
| In person or via mail to your local Magistrates Court | Click here to find a list of Queensland Magistrates Courts. |
|---|---|
| In person at the Brisbane registry | Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal |
| Mail to the Brisbane registry | Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal |
Form 7 - Response to minor civil dispute – minor debt
The purpose of this form is to respond to a minor debt dispute application.
5. Giving your response to the other parties
You are required to give a sealed copy of your minor debt response and supporting material when you receive it back from QCAT, to all parties named in the application within 28 days. If you do not give your response to the applicant a decision can be made against you in the case without any further notification.
Visit this page for further information on service requirements.
6. What happens next?
After you have submitted your response, if not already issued, QCAT will provide further instructions to the parties on the next steps in the process.