- FAQs

VCAT procedures and guidelines

Accessing a VCAT file and subpoenaed documents
Arranging for an interpreter
Compelling someone to appear as a witness before the tribunal
Complaints against tribunal members and staff
Conduct at VCAT hearings
Contempt proceedings
Enforcing a VCAT Order for the payment of money
Fee waiver due to financial hardship
Joint applications
Making an application to VCAT when a party to the application resides interstate
Paying a fee by credit card
Representation at a hearing
Transcripts of VCAT proceedings
VCAT's privacy policy

Questions about using this website

About this website
Browsing this website
Downloading a document in pdf format
Filling in an application form on the computer
Increasing the size of the text for viewing
Website credits

QUESTIONS ABOUT VCAT PROCEDURES

Joint applications

Guidelines for making joint applications (36KB) (1 page)

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Representation at a hearing
Representation at a hearing (21KB) (3 pages)

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Conduct at VCAT hearings
Guidelines for conduct at VCAT hearings (44KB).

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Contempt proceedings
Contempt proceedings (94KB) (Updated 6/2/08).

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Paying a fee by credit card
You can pay application, hearing, photocopying, warrant of possession and other types of fees by credit card.
Download application form (17KB)

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Fee waiver due to financial hardship
Download application form and guidelines (35 KB)
Poverty line table (20KB)

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Enforcing a VCAT Order for the payment of money

VCAT has made orders. The other party has not complied. What can you do?
Below is an extract from the Law Handbook explaining how to enforce VCAT orders. Orders involving the payment of money can be registered and enforced through the courts. The procedure is different for other orders which do not involve the payment of money. You may wish to obtain independent legal advice in relation to the enforcement of any order.
Enforcing a VCAT Order for the payment of money (163KB) (15 pages)

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Compelling someone to appear as a witness before the tribunal

The tribunal must first fix a hearing date. Once a date has been set, you may then complete a 'Summons to Appear' form (3 copies are required) and take it to VCAT at ground floor, 55 King Street, Melbourne, to be issued. The Registrar will check the date of hearing and sign and stamp the summons. Please note there is a fee for each summons issued as specified in the 'Summons to Appear' form below.

You will then be required to serve a copy of the summons on the witness allowing reasonable time prior to the hearing and in a manner in accordance with section 140 of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998. Details concerning service are located below.

After serving the summons you must complete and sign an 'Affidavit of Service' and return it with the summons to the tribunal. Please note that the 'Affidavit of Service' as provided with the summons may not be appropriate where service is effected on a company or unincorporated association. In such an instance you may wish to draft your own affidavit to accommodate service on a company or unincorporated association.

Download a 'Summons to Appear' Form (including 'Affidavit of Service' and instructions on how to serve a 'Summons to Appear') (Updated 1/7/08) (18 KB)

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Arranging for an interpreter

For advice or information, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 13 1450 (for the cost of a local call) and ask to speak to an Enquiries Officer at Consumer and Business Affairs Victoria.

If you need an interpreter to attend a hearing at VCAT, you should write or telephone VCAT who will arrange for an interpreter at no cost to any party. Using relatives and friends at the hearing is usually not acceptable.

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Accessing a VCAT file and subpoenaed documents
Download a VCAT file access and subpoenaed documents request form (20KB) (Updated 15/10/09)

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Making an application to VCAT when a party to the application resides interstate
Download application forms (including information on the procedure) (32KB).

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Transcripts of VCAT proceedings

Transcript application form and guidelines (75KB)

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Complaints against tribunal members and staff

Complaints protocol (69KB).

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About this website

This site is best viewed using a screen resolution of 1024x768, but consideration has also been given to those using 800x600 resolution.

Other features we have incorporated into the site are:

accessibility requirements for the vision impaired;
cross-platform compatibility;
cross-browser compatibility (optimised for Internet Explorer (version 4 or higher), Opera (version 6 or higher), or Netscape Navigator (version 6 or higher);
ability to increase text size through browser settings - you can increase or decrease the font size by going to (eg, in Internet Explorer) View; Text Size; and select from a range of sizes.

Browsing this website

You can locate information on this website in a variety of ways:

The collapsible menu bar - located on the left hand side. Clicking on a particular item in the menu will take you into a second level, and if relevant, a third level of related pages and information.
Utility Bar links - located at the top of your screen.
Site Map - for a complete listing of all pages published on this site.
Search Engine - The ISYS search engine with advanced search functions.

Increasing the size of the text for viewing

You can increase or decrease the font size of the text you are viewing through your browser settings. For example, in Internet Explorer, go to View; Text Size; and select from a range of sizes.

Downloading a document in pdf format

Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are indicated by the following graphic:

To download a PDF document make sure you have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader installed on your pc. You can use the link below to download a free copy of the software.

The documents can take a little while to download, depending on the size of the document and your speed of connection to the internet. We suggest you use option B to download the forms/documents. That way you can monitor the progress of the download. With Option A you may see a blank white screen for several seconds until the document downloads.

A	Click on the form/document name to open document; or
B	1. Right click on the form/document name
	2. Save target as
	3. Choose where you want to save the document
	4. Go to Windows Explorer, locate the document and double click on it to open document.

To print the document: click on the 'Print' icon in the Adobe® tool bar just above the form (see illustration below).

Filling in an application form on the computer

Presently not all forms on the VCAT website can be filled in on the computer. Those that can, will be identified with a note to that effect.

To fill out a form:

1. Select the hand tool .

2. Position the pointer inside a form field, and click. The I-beam pointer allows you to type text. The arrow pointer allows you to select a button, a check box, a radio button, or an item from a list.

3. After entering text or selecting an item, check box, or radio button, do one of the following:

Press Tab to accept the form field change and go to the next form field.
Press Shift+Tab to accept the form field change and go to the previous form field.
Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to accept the form field change and de-select the current form field.
In a multi-line text form field, Enter or Return goes to the next line in the same form field. You can use Enter on the keypad to accept a change and de-select the current form field.
Press Escape to reject the form field change and de-select the current form field.

To print the document: click on the 'Print' icon in the Adobe® tool bar just above the form.

(Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated)

Website credits

This website was created at VCAT by Lucille de Kraan ( Internet Site Administrator), Peter Anderson (former Technology Co-ordinator) and David Freeman (Technology Co-ordinator), with assistance from Lynda Collodetti and the Department of Justice Online Services section.