CourtSA Portal — How to File a Minor Civil Claim Online

What CourtSA Is

CourtSA is the online filing portal run by the Courts Administration Authority for South Australian courts. Since April 2020, it is the primary way to lodge civil claims — the registry no longer accepts cash, cheques, or over-the-counter filings for most civil matters. For minor civil claims, electronic filing through CourtSA is strongly encouraged and practically mandatory.

Step-by-Step: Lodging Your Claim

1. Create an Account

Go to the CourtSA portal and register an individual or organisational profile. You will need your full legal name, a valid email address, and a contact phone number. Keep your login details — you will use this account to track your case, upload documents, and receive court notices.

2. Start a New Case

Select "Start a New Case" and navigate to Magistrates Court → Civil → Minor Civil Claim. The portal will ask whether your claim is a standard monetary claim (Form 1), a building dispute (Form 1A), a commercial lease matter (Form 1B), or a vehicle dealer dispute (Form 1C). Most unpaid invoices, refund claims, and property damage cases use Form 1.

3. Enter Party Details

Enter the exact legal name of the respondent — not a trading name. If you are suing a company, use the full name and ACN from the ASIC register (e.g., "ABC Pty Ltd (ACN 123 456 789)"). For a sole trader, use the format "John Doe t/as Doe Plumbing." Getting this wrong can make a judgment unenforceable.

Enter the respondent's verified service address. This is the address where you will serve the claim after it is issued.

4. Enter Claim Details

Specify the total claim amount (up to A$12,000), the date the cause of action arose, and a concise dispute summary. CourtSA gives you a short text field for the summary — keep it under 100 words, stating the factual basis of the claim (who owes you, why, and how much).

If your claim needs more detail, select the option to upload a Form 1S Statement of Claim as a separate PDF. This is where you set out the full factual narrative with dates, amounts, and the basis for your claim.

5. Upload Documents

Attach your supporting documents in PDF format:

• Form 1S (Statement of Claim) if you are using a separate pleading document
• Form 31 (Multilingual Notice) — mandatory, served with every claim
• Copies of invoices, contracts, quotes, photographs, or other evidence supporting your claim

6. Pay the Filing Fee

The A$186 filing fee is paid by credit or debit card within the portal. Once you complete payment, CourtSA assigns a case number and applies an electronic court seal. Your claim is now issued.

After Filing

The sealed claim documents are available for download from your CourtSA account. Print them — you are responsible for serving the sealed copies on the respondent within six months. The court does not serve the claim for you (unless you request the court sheriff for A$46 per address).

You can also use CourtSA to file subsequent documents: the Affidavit of Proof of Service (Form 42), an application for default judgment (Form 76B), or interlocutory applications. All case events and hearing dates appear in your portal dashboard.

Common Portal Mistakes

Wrong form type. A fencing dispute under the Fences Act 1975 uses Form 2A, not Form 1. A building dispute uses Form 1A. Selecting the wrong form can delay acceptance or result in rejection by the registrar.

Trading name instead of legal name. The portal lets you type anything in the respondent name field. If you enter "Joe's Plumbing" without the individual or company behind it, the registrar may still issue the claim — but any judgment will be against a name that does not legally exist.

Skipping Form 31. The Multilingual Notice is mandatory under the Uniform Civil Rules 2020. If you do not attach it to your service packet, the respondent can challenge the validity of service.

For a full walkthrough of every form, upload, and post-filing step, the SA Minor Civil Claim Guide covers the complete CourtSA workflow with screenshots and checklists.

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