Find Debtor Assets Queensland — Financial Discovery After Judgment

You cannot enforce a judgment effectively if you do not know what the debtor owns or earns. Queensland provides two formal discovery mechanisms — a written financial statement and an oral examination in court — plus several public registers you can search independently.

Step 1: Form 71 — Statement of Financial Position

Start with the cheapest option. Serve the debtor with UCPR Form 71, which requires them to complete a written financial disclosure within 14 days of receiving it. The form covers:

• Employment, wages, and Centrelink benefits
• Bank account balances, account numbers, and branch locations
• Real estate ownership, Titles Queensland parcel identifiers, and mortgage liabilities
• Motor vehicle registration and personal property
• PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) encumbrances
• Debts owed to the debtor by third parties

There is no court filing fee to serve a Form 71. If you send it yourself by prepaid ordinary post, postage is the only direct service cost.

Step 2: Form 70 — Enforcement Hearing

If the debtor ignores the Form 71, returns it incomplete, or you suspect the answers are dishonest, escalate to an enforcement hearing. This is a court appearance where the debtor is examined under oath about their financial affairs.

You apply with Form 9 (application), Form 70 (enforcement hearing summons), and Form 46 (supporting affidavit). Include a blank Form 71 or link to the online form with the application. The Form 46 must be sworn no more than two business days before filing in person or five business days before posting. There is no filing fee. The summons must be served at least 14 days before the hearing and can be served by prepaid ordinary post or personally. If the debtor must attend court outside their district, the Form 46 must offer conduct money for reasonable travel costs.

At the hearing, you or the magistrate can require the debtor to produce financial records requested in the summons, such as bank statements, tax returns, pay slips, and property records. A debtor who fails to attend without lawful excuse faces arrest or contempt proceedings.

Independent Register Searches

While waiting for the debtor's Form 71 or hearing date, you can search four public registers:

Titles Queensland. Search by the debtor's name to find any real property they own, registered mortgages, and caveats. This tells you whether there is equity to target with a seizure warrant.

PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register). Search for security interests, liens, and leases over vehicles, machinery, and equipment. This reveals whether the debtor's car or business equipment is encumbered by a finance company.

ASIC Registers. If the debtor is a company or runs a business, search for directorships, shareholdings, business names, and registered office addresses. This helps identify corporate assets or bank details.

ABN Lookup. Verify whether the debtor operates a sole trader business, their trading name, and GST status.

What You Cannot Do

Covert investigations, pretext calls, and unauthorised access to bank accounts are illegal. All discovery must go through official court mechanisms or lawful public register searches.

If the debtor is a company, the Form 70 summons is directed to an officer — typically a director — who must attend and produce the company records requested in the summons. But enforcement against a company does not automatically make its director personally liable unless a personal guarantee exists.

Once you know what the debtor has, you can match their profile to the right enforcement warrant. Our Queensland QCAT Order Enforcement Guide includes a financial discovery tracker that maps each asset to the appropriate warrant type.

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