Brisbane Supreme Court civil claims online lodgment

Legal practitioners entitled to practise in Queensland can lodge Brisbane Supreme Court civil claims and supporting documents not only in person or by post, but also online.

The Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal (OSP) provides an efficient alternative for solicitors.

It allows 24/7 lodgment, online payment of filing fees, and access to lodged materials via a dashboard. This reduces the need to visit the court registry, saving time and costs.

Self-represented litigants must continue to lodge their claims at either the registry or by post.

Expanded scope coming soon

Later this year, online lodgement will expand to include all civil proceedings before the Supreme, District and Land Courts across Queensland.

This initiative is part of the new civil case management system, which aims to modernise and streamline higher court processes across the state with a move from paper to digital court files.

This expansion will cover all civil originating processes, including applications, Planning and Environment Court appeals, appeals and appeals subject to leave made to the Court of Appeal, and will be available to self-represented litigants.

If you haven’t already, please go to the Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal and create your profile so you’re ready to manage your court business electronically from day one. We suggest firms and solicitors in particular review the OSP materials and create or join an organisation profile.

Processing timeframes

Standard filing

Consistent with Rule 969A of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999, documents lodged electronically before 4.30pm will be dated as filed on the date of lodgement.

Otherwise lodgements will be dated as filed the next business day.

The registry aims to process electronically lodged documents within 24 hours or by the close of the next business day.

Sealed copies will be returned within the same timeframe once the registry has assessed the lodged documents.

Urgent filing

For urgent matters:

  1. submit your claim electronically; and
  2. email the registry on BrisSCelodge@justice.qld.gov.au; and
  3. call the registry on 1800 497 117 during business hours (Mon–Fri, 8.30am–4.30pm except Wednesday which is 9:30am-4:30pm).

After-hours filing

Documents lodged outside business hours will be assessed and, if accepted, dated as filed on the next business day.

Important notes

Non-compliance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 may delay processing.

Documents intended for other jurisdictions or court locations outside the Brisbane Supreme Court will not be actioned.

How to lodge civil claims online if you’re a self-represented applicant

If you’re representing yourself, you’ll need to lodge your application in person or by post.

Go to the Queensland Courts and Tribunals OSP and follow the steps to:

  • Login
  • Create an individual profile
  • Create an organisation profile (if required)

From the OSP homepage, click on Supreme Court

On the Supreme Court online services page, click Supreme Court Claims. If you are not already logged in, the system will ask you to login now before redirecting you to the Supreme Courts Claims form.

When the Supreme Court Claims forms opens, the first screen you will see provides you with all the information you need to prepare to lodge your claim. Read this then click ‘Lodge documents’ to start the form.

Lodgement contact details

You will see your details have been auto populated in this section. If you are lodging on behalf of another person in your firm, click ‘Change contact’. This will display a drop-down list of all the other people in your organisation who have a profile in the OSP. Select the appropriate person from this list. If they are not in the list, they may not have created a profile in the portal.

Lodgement type

The first questions is: ‘Is this a new claim?’ Select from the ‘yes’ or ‘no' options. If you select no, enter your existing court file number.

Save or continue

You can save a draft anytime by clicking ‘save’.

You can take as long as you need to lodge by saving in draft as you go. Registry staff are unable to access or view any documents prior to the document/s being submitted for lodgement.

When you’re ready, click ‘continue’.

Identify whether the plaintiff is an:

  • individual
  • organisation or
  • Queensland Government agency

Enter in the name of the plaintiff.

Add as many plaintiffs as required by clicking ‘add another plaintiff’ and entering their names.

Identify whether the defendant or third party is an:

  • individual
  • organisation or
  • Queensland Government agency

Enter in the name of the defendant or third party.

Add as many defendants or third parties as required by clicking ‘add another defendant or third party’ and entering their names.

To add documents, select the appropriate document type from the drop-down menu below and upload the relevant files. You can upload as many files as necessary.

Review your proceeding and make any required changes by clicking the ‘edit’ link in the relevant section.

After you submit

You will receive an email confirming lodgement of your document/s. You will also have the ability to view your lodged document/s via the dashboard.

Once you have lodged a document, no further changes can be made to it. The registry will make every effort to process a lodged document within 24 hours of the document being submitted, or by the close of the next business day. Any non-compliance with the UCPR will impact turnaround times.

We will contact you (via your preferred contact method) if we require further information or to request payment of any filing fee.

Once accepted for filing, the registry will return the filed documents via email to the lodging party.

For new Claims, the registry will provide the Court File Number. Once a document has been accepted for filing, the lodgement reference number is no longer used.

If the whole of the document is received before 4:30pm on a day the registry is open, the date of filing will be the date the document is received by the registry. If received after 4:30pm, the date of filling will be the next day the registry is open.

Finding a draft of lodged Supreme Court claim in your dashboard

Go to your dashboard and click ‘proceedings’. Your proceeding will be listed in your ‘Proceedings’ table. Until it has been lodged by the registry it will have a temporary lodgement reference number. This is not the court file number.

Advice and support

Procedural assistance or status updates

Brisbane Supreme Court Registry

Phone: 1800 497 117

Email: BrisSCelodge@justice.qld.gov.au

Portal access, organisation connection, or technical support

Client Systems Support Team

Phone: 1300 509 062

Email: CASE-Apps-Support@justice.qld.gov.au