Admitting a Minor Case Claim in WA — Full, Partial, and Instalment Options

Not every defendant wants to fight the claim. Sometimes you owe the money, or at least part of it, and the best move is to admit what you owe and propose payment terms that you can actually manage. Admitting a Minor Case Claim in the WA Magistrates Court is done through Part F of Form 15A, and it gives you more control over the outcome than ignoring the claim and letting default judgment roll in.

Full Admission

If you accept the entire amount the claimant is seeking, tick the full admission box in Part F. You then choose your payment terms:

• Lump sum by a specific date — you nominate a date by which you will pay the full amount.
• Instalment plan — you propose regular payments (weekly, fortnightly, or monthly) in an amount you can sustain.

The court sends your response to the claimant. If they accept your proposed terms, the court enters orders reflecting those terms. If they reject your instalment proposal — say you offered $50 a month and they want $200 — the matter may be referred to a status conference or the registrar may set payment terms based on your stated financial position.

Partial Admission

Partial admission covers two situations:

You admit some of the amount but dispute the rest. For example, the claimant says you owe $6,000 for work done, and you agree that $3,500 worth of work was properly completed but dispute the remainder because it was defective. Complete Part F offering the admitted amount, and complete Part H setting out your defence to the balance.

You admit liability but dispute the amount claimed (unliquidated damages). A common scenario: you accept you caused a car accident, but you believe the repair quote is inflated. Complete Part F noting you admit liability, and the court lists the matter for an assessment of damages hearing or status conference to resolve the amount.

Both paths lead to a status conference before a magistrate.

Proposing Instalment Payments

When proposing instalments, be realistic. The court considers your income, essential expenses, and other debts. Offering $10 a week on a $5,000 claim will likely be rejected. Offering an amount that genuinely reflects your capacity to pay — with a brief statement of your financial circumstances — is more likely to be accepted.

If the claimant rejects your instalment proposal and the matter goes before a magistrate or registrar, bring evidence of your financial position: recent payslips, bank statements, and a list of regular expenses. The court has power to set instalment terms that are fair to both sides.

Why Admitting Beats Ignoring

A default judgment gives the claimant the full amount with no negotiation on payment terms. An admission through Form 15A lets you propose terms, demonstrate good faith, and potentially reduce the overall cost if you can negotiate a settlement for less than the claimed amount at the status conference.

Filing Form 15A is free. Even an admission costs nothing to lodge.

The WA Minor Case Response Guide walks through each admission path with worked examples, including how to draft an instalment proposal the court is likely to accept.

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