How to Respond to a Minor Case Claim in Western Australia

You opened your mailbox or front door, and someone handed you a sealed court document with a case number on it. That document is a Minor Case Claim — Form 4 — and it means someone is suing you in the Magistrates Court of Western Australia for up to $10,000. You have 14 days to respond if you were served within WA, or 21 days if you were served interstate.

Here is what to do, in order.

Confirm What You Have Been Served

Check the documents in your hands. You should have a sealed Form 4 (Minor Case Claim) bearing the court's stamp, a case reference number, and the name and address of the person suing you. Alongside it should be a blank Form 15A — that is your response form.

If the documents lack a court seal or case number, you may have received an informal letter of demand rather than a filed court claim. A letter of demand does not start the response clock. Verify the case number on the eCourts Portal at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au before doing anything else.

Know Your Deadline

The countdown starts the day after you were served, not the day of service itself:

• Served in WA: 14 calendar days, including weekends and public holidays.
• Served interstate: 21 calendar days under the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 (Cth).

If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or WA public holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day at 5:00 PM WST.

Miss this window and the claimant can apply for default judgment. For a specified debt or liquidated sum, a registrar may enter judgment for the claimed sum plus allowable costs without the parties attending. For unliquidated damages, the registrar may assess the amount from supporting documents or list an Assessment of Damages hearing.

Choose Your Response on Form 15A

Form 15A gives you several options. You tick the box matching your position:

• Full defence — you dispute the entire claim. Complete Part F and Part H with your statement of defence.
• Partial admission — you accept part of the amount but dispute the rest. Complete Part F (offering a specific sum) and Part H (defending the balance).
• Full admission — you accept the full amount. You can propose immediate payment or an instalment plan.
• Counterclaim — you have your own claim against the person suing you. Complete Part I.

A full defence or partial admission triggers a status conference before a magistrate, where the court will try to help both sides settle.

Lodge Form 15A on the eCourts Portal

All WA Magistrates Court filings go through the eCourts Portal at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au. Create an account if you do not have one, search for your case using the reference number on Form 4, and upload your completed Form 15A.

There is no filing fee for lodging a standard response. Counterclaims carry a separate fee.

If you cannot file electronically — limited internet, disability, or remote location — lodge a Form 69 exemption application for permission to file in paper at a registry counter.

What Happens After You File

Once the registry accepts your Form 15A, the court sends a copy to the claimant. If you defend or partly admit the claim, the matter is listed for a status conference, where the magistrate explores settlement and, if no agreement is reached, sets directions for a hearing. A full admission follows the payment process in the form and may be referred to a conference if the proposed terms are not accepted.

The critical thing is filing within time. A late Form 15A can still be accepted if the claimant has not yet applied for default judgment — but you cannot rely on that gap.

If you have been served with a Minor Case Claim and want a structured walkthrough covering every response path, deadline calculation, and hearing preparation step, the WA Minor Case Response Guide breaks the entire process into plain-language chapters with worksheets you can fill in as you go.

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