Guide · updated 2026-10-13
MCAT: Civil Claims Guide
How to lodge a civil claim with the Melbourne Civil and Administrative Tribunal, how a claim is answered and heard, and how orders are paid.
1. What MCAT is
The Melbourne Civil and Administrative Tribunal (MCAT) hears civil claims between people: a debt that was never repaid, a car sold that was not as described, a deal gone wrong. It is not a criminal court; nobody is charged and nobody is jailed. MCAT decides whether one person owes another money.
2. The key numbers
- Filing fee: $100, paid when you lodge.
- Maximum claim: $100,000.
3. Lodging a claim
Claims are lodged on your phone: open MyServices, then the Court tab. Say who the claim is against, how much you are claiming and why. Be clear and specific; the tribunal can only decide what is in front of it.
Before you lodge, it is good practice in our tribunal to try to settle the matter in the city first. Many disputes end with a conversation.
4. The respondent answers
The person the claim is against is the respondent. The respondent is given the chance to answer the claim, setting out their side. A respondent who agrees they owe the money can say so, which usually shortens the hearing.
5. The hearing
MCAT lists a hearing. Sittings are posted in the mcat channel of the DOJ Discord. At the hearing, in our practice, the applicant explains the claim, the respondent answers, each side may bring witnesses or evidence from the city, and the tribunal decides.
Come prepared: screenshots taken out of character are not evidence in the city, but messages, receipts and witnesses in the city are.
6. The decision
MCAT either orders payment or dismisses the claim.
- When payment is ordered, the respondent pays into the court, and the winner collects it from the court.
- When the claim is dismissed, nothing is owed.
7. If an order is not paid
A court-ordered MCAT debt that is not paid can be enforced by Melbourne Police, who can seize it from the respondent’s bank account. See Fines Melbourne and enforcement.