How to Prepare Evidence for WA Magistrates Court Minor Case

The magistrate at your minor case hearing will base their decision on the evidence you present — not your feelings about the dispute, not verbal promises you remember, but actual documents. If your evidence is disorganised, missing, or impossible to navigate, you make it harder for the magistrate to rule in your favour. As one self-represented litigant on the Perth community forum put it: "Entering the magistrates court without all the facts in writing and with photos will delay or require a second attendance."

What Counts as Evidence

In a minor case, evidence typically includes:

• Contracts and written agreements — the document that created the obligation in dispute.
• Invoices and receipts — proof of what was paid or what is owed.
• Photographs — damage to property, defective work, vehicle condition before and after.
• Text messages and emails — written communications between you and the claimant about the dispute.
• Quotes and valuations — independent assessments of repair costs or market value.
• Bank statements — proof of payments made or received.
• Witness statements — written accounts from people who saw or heard relevant events.

How to Organise Your Bundle

For Form 15A, the eCourts Portal accepts PDF or Word documents; follow the format shown for later evidence lodgments. The magistrate expects documents to be clearly named and logically ordered. Forum users who have been through the process consistently recommend this approach:

1. Number every document sequentially — 01-Contract-Agreement.pdf, 02-Invoice-March-2026.pdf, 03-Photo-Damage-Kitchen.pdf.
2. Create an index page — a single-page table listing each document number, description, date, and what it proves.
3. Keep it chronological — arrange documents in the order events happened, not the order you found them.
4. Use clear file names — magistrates read dozens of matters. "IMG_4521.jpg" tells them nothing; "Photo-Cracked-Wall-After-Work.pdf" tells them everything.

If the matter goes to a physical hearing, bring a printed bundle as well. Print each document single-sided, tab or label the sections, and bring three copies — one for the court, one for the other party, and one for yourself.

Photos and Digital Evidence

For photographs, convert them to PDF before uploading. Include the date the photo was taken (most phones embed this in metadata, but writing it on the page is safer). If you are using text message screenshots, arrange them in chronological order with timestamps visible.

For email chains, print or export the entire thread — not just the email that supports your position. The magistrate may ask to see the full conversation.

What Not to Do

Do not dump a stack of unsorted papers on the bench. Do not include irrelevant documents hoping something will stick. Do not submit 200 pages when 30 targeted pages cover the actual dispute.

Focus on documents that directly prove or disprove a specific claim being made. Quality beats volume.

The WA Minor Case Response Guide includes an evidence index worksheet and document-naming checklist so you can build your bundle systematically without missing anything critical.

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