VCAT Points of Claim Template: How to Structure Your Civil Claim

Why VCAT Wants Numbered Paragraphs

VCAT requires applicants to set out their claim as a series of concise, numbered paragraphs — not a narrative essay, not a chronological diary of every phone call and text message. The numbered format lets the tribunal member identify the key facts quickly and lets the respondent admit or deny each paragraph in their Points of Defence.

Submitting an unstructured block of text is one of the most common reasons the registry sends an application back with directions to re-plead. It wastes time and can delay your hearing by weeks.

The Basic Structure

A standard Points of Claim for a goods and services dispute follows this logic:

Paragraph 1 — The parties. State your full legal name and the respondent's full legal name, including any ACN or ABN. If the respondent trades under a business name, name the person or company behind it (e.g. "Jane Doe trading as Doe Design Co, ABN 12 345 678 901").

Paragraph 2 — The agreement. State what was agreed, when, and on what terms. Be specific: "On 15 March 2026, the Applicant engaged the Respondent to install a kitchen splashback at 42 Smith Street, Collingwood, for a quoted price of $4,800, to be completed by 12 April 2026."

Paragraph 3 — What was performed. State what actually happened: whether goods were delivered, services performed, or payments made. Include dates and amounts.

Paragraph 4 — The breach. State exactly what went wrong: non-delivery, defective workmanship, failure to pay an invoice, or whatever the dispute is about. Tie it to a specific term of the agreement or, where relevant, a statutory consumer guarantee under the Australian Consumer Law as applied in Victoria.

Paragraph 5 — The loss. State the exact dollar amount you are claiming, broken down into components: the principal amount, any pre-order statutory interest at 10% per annum (if you are claiming it), and the filing fee you want reimbursed under section 115C.

Paragraph 6 — The remedy. State what you want the tribunal to order: payment of a specific sum, refund, contract rescission, or an order for specific performance.

Common Mistakes That Get Your Claim Sent Back

Emotional narrative. "I can't believe they would do this after I trusted them" doesn't help the tribunal. Strip the emotion and state facts.

Vague amounts. "They owe me about $3,000" is not enough. Show the exact calculation: $4,800 quoted price minus $1,800 partial payment = $3,000 outstanding, plus interest of $X from [date] to [date] at 10% per annum.

Missing dates. Every key event needs a date: when the contract was made, when payment was due, when the defect was discovered, when you sent the demand letter.

Wrong respondent. A trading name is not a legal person. Search ASIC or ABN Lookup to confirm the correct entity before you file.

Too much detail. Your Points of Claim are a summary, not the evidence. Attach your contracts, invoices, and demand letter as separate documents. The numbered paragraphs tell the tribunal what happened; the attachments prove it.

Example: Unpaid Invoice Claim ($8,500)

1. The Applicant is [Your Name], a sole trader electrician operating in Victoria. The Respondent is Apex Shopfitters Pty Ltd, ACN 654 321 098, of [Address].
2. On 10 January 2026, the Respondent engaged the Applicant to perform electrical wiring at [Address] for a quoted price of $8,500, payable within 14 days of completion.
3. The Applicant completed the work on 28 January 2026 and issued Tax Invoice #1042 dated 28 January 2026 for $8,500.
4. Despite the invoice falling due on 11 February 2026, the Respondent has failed to pay any part of the amount claimed.
5. The Applicant issued a Letter of Demand dated 1 March 2026, allowing 14 days for payment. No payment or response was received.
6. The Applicant claims $8,500 plus statutory interest at 10% per annum from 12 February 2026 to the date of the tribunal's order, plus reimbursement of the filing fee under section 115C of the VCAT Act 1998.

Our VCAT Civil Claim Filing Guide includes a fillable Points of Claim worksheet that walks you through each paragraph with prompts for the details VCAT expects to see.

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