NTCAT Evidence Preparation for Your Hearing

Most self-represented applicants who lose at NTCAT do not lose because their claim was bad. They lose because they failed to organise their evidence in a way the presiding member could follow. NTCAT requires parties to exchange evidentiary material before the hearing, and bundles should be paginated and indexed; arriving with a pile of unsorted receipts in a plastic bag does not meet that standard.

What Counts as Evidence

Evidence in an NTCAT small claim falls into a few practical categories:

• Contracts and agreements — written contracts, email chains confirming agreed terms, text messages setting out a deal
• Invoices and payment records — issued invoices, bank statements showing payments made (or the absence of payment), receipts
• Correspondence — demand letters, registered post tracking receipts, email exchanges where the debtor acknowledged the debt or disputed it
• Photographs and video — images of defective work, damaged goods, property condition at the start and end of a tenancy
• Expert reports — a builder's quote for rectification work, a mechanic's assessment of vehicle defects, a pest inspection report
• Witness statements — written statements from anyone who can give evidence about the transaction, the work, or the dispute

How to Organise Your Bundle

Build a paginated evidence binder. Number every page sequentially, and create an index sheet at the front that lists each document by page number, date, and a one-line description of what it is. The presiding member will use your index to navigate the bundle during the hearing. If they cannot find the document you are referring to, your oral submission loses its anchor.

A practical structure:

1. Index page — document number, page range, date, description
2. Contract/agreement — the original agreement between the parties
3. Invoices — in chronological order
4. Payment records — bank statements or receipts showing what was paid
5. Demand letter — your letter of demand and the tracking receipt
6. Respondent correspondence — any reply, acknowledgment, or counter-offer
7. Photographs — labelled with dates and captions explaining what each image shows
8. Expert reports — if applicable
9. Calculation sheet — an itemised breakdown of the amount you are claiming

Document Exchange Before the Hearing

NTCAT standard orders typically direct both parties to exchange copies of their document bundles before the hearing date. The exact timeline is set out in the standard orders you received when you filed. Failing to exchange documents on time can lead to an adjournment or to the presiding member refusing to admit late-submitted evidence.

Prepare three copies of your bundle: one for the tribunal, one for the respondent, and one for yourself. If you are exchanging by post, send by registered mail and keep the tracking receipt.

Presenting Evidence at the Hearing

Refer to your documents by page number during oral submissions. "As shown on page 7 of my evidence bundle, the respondent confirmed the debt by email on 15 March 2025" is clear and verifiable. "I have an email somewhere" is not.

Stick to the facts. NTCAT members are experienced at separating relevant financial evidence from personal grievances. If the respondent was rude to you, that is not evidence of the debt. If they sent a text message saying "I know I owe you but I'm not paying," that is.

If you have photographs, print them in colour at a size that is legible. A small, dark printout of a building defect does not help the member understand the issue.

The NTCAT Small Claim Filing Guide includes an evidence index binder template and a claim calculation worksheet designed to match NTCAT's standard-orders format.

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