Form · Debt Recovery & Civil Enforcement
Civil dispute application (ACAT): completion guide
Link to the ACAT printable civil dispute application and the online civil dispute form. The PDF file name includes AF-2021-28. The forms page says the civil dispute process has changed and points to a practice note. That note was not opened.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- Australian Capital Territory
- AI use
- Yellow You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at
- 22 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked on 22 October 2026 against the official form at acat.act.gov.au and the 2 authorities it cites, for Australian Capital Territory.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Link to the official form. Licence: © Australian Capital Territory (ACAT). Link only: download the current civil dispute application from ACAT each time; do not copy or adapt it.
Where this comes from
The official form is published by acat.act.gov.au; this page is a completion guide. Last checked on 2026-10-22.
When to use it
Use when starting a civil dispute in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal on the civil dispute application linked from the ACAT forms page. Do not use the application for review of a government decision, or the rental dispute application. The lawyer reads the current civil disputes page and Practice Note 3 of 2023 before filing.
Used for these tasks
- Check the claim pack against the current form, fee and registry rules before filing
- Decide whether the claim is in time and in the right court
- Draft particulars of a liquidated claim
Each task page says how far AI may help with the task and what the lawyer must review.
How AI may be used
AI may check a draft against the current form and list gaps or the wrong form. The lawyer writes the claim and checks every filing.
AI may
- Check the draft against the current official form and list blank fields, missing attachments and inconsistent party names
- Flag when another form with the same number, from a different list on the forms page, has been selected
- List the filing details stated on the court or tribunal page that was opened
AI must not
- Must not draft the particulars, the indorsement or any affidavit
- Must not decide which court has jurisdiction, the monetary limit, or whether the claim is in time
- Must not sign, file or serve the document
The lawyer checks
- The current form is the one prescribed for this kind of claim
- Parties, heading and relief match the instructions
- Any fee and practice direction is checked against the current rules
- The court's or tribunal's current index is checked before assuming a generative-AI practice direction applies. None was stated on the page opened for this guide.
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Official form
Open the official form. Always use the current version from the issuer. Licence: © Australian Capital Territory (ACAT). Link only: download the current civil dispute application from ACAT each time; do not copy or adapt it..
Read the full text
The full text is available after you log in. It is free. When you log in you can:
- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
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