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Personal Injury

VIC

This publication assists practitioners in advising and representing clients with common law personal injury claims under the Wrongs Act in Victoria.

2 Matter Plans

Overview

The commentary covers all aspects of claims, including the principles of negligence, preparing and commencing claims, negotiating and settling claims, and court proceedings.

The Reference materials folder includes guidance on electronic signing and witnessing, and the comprehensive Getting the matter underway folder includes compliance and client care documents. Using the extensive Retainer Instructions when gathering information ensures nothing is missed.

Also included is 101 Subpoena Answers, which is a useful reference guide.

Precedents in this publication include:

  • Letters to clients, insurers, doctors, and relevant authorities gathering information;
  • Medical authorities;
  • Instructions to settle;
  • Library of example pleadings;
  • Example content for a schedule of damages and issues.
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2 Matter Plans Included

  • Item icon Matter Summary (Personal Injury)
  • Item icon ALERTS - Nil
  • Item icon Full Commentary - Personal Injury (VIC)
  • Folder icon Reference materials
    • Item icon AI Prompts
      An AI prompt defines a specific task for AI to perform, like drafting a particular document, and provides clear instructions on how to execute that task. The goal is for the AI to quickly create a useful first draft of a document, which the user verifies and refines into a final version, ultimately ...

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    • Item icon Looking to the Future
    • Item icon Electronic Signing and Witnessing
    • Item icon Medical Glossary
    • Item icon 101 Subpoena Answers
    • Item icon 101 Costs Answers
    • Item icon Accredited assessors
    • Folder icon Papers and articles - Litigation
      • Item icon Improving written submissions - A paper by Judge Alan Troy
      • Item icon Plain language – A paper by the Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
    • Folder icon Demonstrating the use of precedents
      • Item icon Demonstrating the Use of Precedents
        To demonstrate the range of precedents available in the guide and to illustrate how they can be adapted to a particular matter, one set of precedents are based on a set of facts in a debt recovery that escalates when a cross-claim is brought alleging a course of conduct between the parties and a ...

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      • Item icon Demonstration - Letter of demand
      • Item icon Demonstration - Response to letter of demand
      • Item icon Demonstration - Pleadings and particulars
      • Item icon Demonstration - Request for further and better particulars
      • Item icon Demonstration - Defence
      • Item icon Demonstration - Affidavit of defendant
      • Item icon Demonstration - Cross-claim or counterclaim
      • Item icon Demonstration - Defence to cross claim or counterclaim
      • Item icon Demonstration - Calderbank offer
      • Item icon Demonstration - ADR order - Referral to mediation
      • Item icon Demonstration - Mediation position paper - Plaintiff
      • Item icon Demonstration - Mediation position paper - Defendant
      • Item icon Demonstration - Consent orders
      • Item icon Demonstration - Deed of release - Settlement of proceedings
    • Item icon Further information
  • Item icon Overview and limitation periods
    Overview and scope of publication Most personal injury claims are brought in negligence and are governed by the Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) and the Wrongs (Part VBA Claims) Regulations 2025 This legislation modifies the common law as it previously existed, however it is not a complete code. The ...

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  • Folder icon A. Getting the matter underway
    • Item icon File cover sheet - Personal injury claim
    • Item icon First steps
    • Item icon Client details and verifying identity
    • Item icon Retainer instructions - Personal injury claim
    • Item icon Conflict of interest check
    • Item icon Initial letter to plaintiff
    • Item icon Costs agreement - VIC
    • Item icon Conditional costs agreement - VIC
    • Item icon Conditional costs agreement - Uplift fee - VIC
    • Item icon Scope of work - Personal injury claim - Acting for the plaintiff
    • Item icon Standard costs disclosure form for clients - Fees under $3000
    • Item icon Time and costs estimates
    • Folder icon If required - Updating costs disclosure
      • Item icon Letter to client updating costs disclosure
      • Item icon Charge securing costs
      • Item icon Guarantee securing costs
      • Folder icon Costs disclosure before settlement in litigation matters
        • Item icon Letter to client - Costs disclosure before settlement - NSW, VIC, and WA
        • Item icon Letter to client - Costs disclosure before settlement - QLD, SA, TAS, ACT, and NT
    • Item icon Taking instructions in personal injury matters
      A client will present either specifically because they want to receive advice about an injury that they or a family member have suffered in an accident, or they will be seeking advice about an entirely different matter and happen to mention difficulties that they are having due to an injury that ...

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    • Item icon Litigated or un-litigated claims
      Increasingly, a variety of defendants are willing to consider personal injury claims outside of the litigation process. Indeed, Victorian government departments and agencies are mandated to avoid litigation where possible, to deal with claims promptly, to pay legitimate claims and to keep costs to ...

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    • Item icon Components of a successful claim and threshold issues
      To succeed in a claim in negligence, the plaintiff must prove that:

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    • Item icon Authority for medical records - General
    • Item icon Initial letter to defendant seeking information - Concise
    • Item icon Alternate initial letter to defendant seeking information - Extensive
    • Folder icon If required - Not proceeding
      • Item icon Letter to plaintiff non-engagement
    • Folder icon General deeds, agreements, execution clauses, and statutory declarations
      • Item icon Deeds and Agreements
      • Folder icon Deeds
        • Item icon Deed for general use
        • Item icon Deed of guarantee
        • Item icon Deed of release
        • Item icon General deed of indemnity
        • Item icon Deed of assignment of agreement
        • Item icon Deed of gift
        • Folder icon Library of standard clauses for deeds
          • Item icon Amendment
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - One party
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of deed - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of deed - One party
          • Item icon Costs
          • Item icon Counterparts
          • Item icon Dispute resolution
          • Item icon Events beyond control
          • Item icon Governing law and jurisdiction
          • Item icon Interpretation
          • Item icon No assignment
          • Item icon Notices
          • Item icon Severance
          • Item icon Waiver
          • Item icon Whole agreement
      • Folder icon Agreements
        • Item icon Agreement for general use
        • Item icon Heads of agreement
        • Item icon Non-disclosure agreement - Formal
        • Item icon Non-disclosure agreement - Informal
        • Folder icon Library of standard clauses for agreements
          • Item icon Amendment
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for defined information - One party
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of agreement - All parties
          • Item icon Confidentiality for terms of agreement - One party
          • Item icon Costs
          • Item icon Counterparts
          • Item icon Dispute resolution
          • Item icon Events beyond control
          • Item icon Governing law and jurisdiction
          • Item icon Interpretation
          • Item icon No assignment
          • Item icon Notices
          • Item icon Severance
          • Item icon Waiver
          • Item icon Whole agreement
      • Folder icon Execution clauses
        • Folder icon Library of execution clauses for agreements
          • Item icon Attorney
          • Item icon Authorised officer
          • Item icon Company
          • Item icon Company - Sole director
          • Item icon Individual
          • Item icon Individual - No witness
        • Folder icon Library of execution clauses for deeds
          • Item icon Attorney
          • Item icon Authorised officer
          • Item icon Company
          • Item icon Company - Sole director
          • Item icon Individual
      • Folder icon Statutory declarations
        • Item icon Commonwealth statutory declaration
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - ACT
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - NSW
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - VIC
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - QLD
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - TAS
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - SA
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - WA
        • Item icon Statutory declaration - blank - NT
        • Item icon Standard annexure note for documents
      • Item icon Standard annexure note for documents
  • Folder icon B. Elements of negligence
    • Item icon Civil Juries Charge Book - Judicial College of Victoria
    • Item icon Establishing a duty of care
      A plaintiff will have no claim in negligence unless they can show that the defendant owed them a duty of care. Part X of the Wrongs Act does not in fact define when a person owes a duty of care to another person. Rather, it deals with when a duty of care has been breached. The existence of a ...

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    • Item icon Breach of duty
      If there is a duty of care, the plaintiff must next establish that the defendant has breached it. There is an unfortunate tendency by some practitioners to skip over this element and to assume that where there is a duty and the defendant has caused injury, the defendant must have been negligent. ...

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    • Item icon Causation
      The Act changes the principles of causation applying to negligence claims previously set within the common law. Section 51 of the Wrongs Act 1958 requires two essential elements to be established in order to establish causation of harm:

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  • Folder icon C. Particular negligence situations
    • Item icon Mental harm
      Cases where the plaintiff has suffered pure mental harm are governed by Part XI of the Wrongs Act 1958. Part XI makes a distinction between consequential mental harm and pure mental harm.

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    • Item icon Occupier’s liability
      Where a plaintiff has been injured on, or because of the state of, certain premises, the question arises as to whether the occupier of the premises is liable. The occupier of premises is the person in control of it, including a landlord who is under an obligation to a tenant to maintain or repair ...

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    • Item icon Professional negligence
      Part X of the Wrongs Act 1958 sets out particular rules relevant to negligence by professionals. Professional is defined in s 57 as an individual practising a profession. Section 58 provides that:

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    • Item icon Organisational child abuse
      Duty on organisations to prevent child abuse Part XIII of the Wrongs Act creates a duty on organisations to prevent child abuse and creates a presumption that an organisation has breached that duty if a child for which it is responsible suffers abuse by an individual associated with the ...

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    • Item icon Public authorities
      Part XII applies special rules to cases where the defendant is a ‘public authority’ as defined in s 79. Section 83 sets out particular principles the court must consider when determining whether a public authority owes a duty of care. or has breached a duty of care. These are:

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    • Item icon Wrongful death
      Part III of the Wrongs Act 1958 provides for wrongful death claims. Where a person is killed in circumstances where they would have otherwise been able to bring a claim, their executor or administrator can bring an action for the benefit of their dependants, defined in s 17(2) as:

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  • Folder icon D. Defences
    • Item icon Contributory negligence
      If the plaintiff suffers damage as a result, partly of their own failure to take reasonable care, and partly as a result of the negligence of the defendant, contributory negligence is not a complete defence. Rather s 26 of the Wrongs Act 1958 provides that the damages the plaintiff may ...

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    • Item icon Awareness of risk
      Voluntary assumption of risk If the plaintiff voluntarily assumed the risk which materialised the defendant is not liable in negligence. This is known as the defence of volenti non fit injuria.

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    • Item icon Intoxication
      In determining whether a defendant has breached a duty of care, the court must consider whether the plaintiff was intoxicated by drugs or alcohol voluntarily consumed, and the level of intoxication: s 14G of the Wrongs Act 1958. Defendants will always seek to make much of any intoxication on ...

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    • Item icon Illegal acts
      In determining whether a defendant has breached a duty of care, the court must also consider whether the plaintiff was engaged in an illegal activity: s 14G. The plaintiff’s engagement in illegal activity does not necessarily mean that the defendant is not liable. Liability depends on the ...

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    • Item icon Good Samaritans
      A good Samaritan is a person who provides assistance, advice or care to another person in relation to an emergency or accident in circumstances in which they:

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    • Item icon Voluntary community workers
      Part IX of the Act protects volunteers who provide services in relation to community work from liability for otherwise negligent acts, even if they receive limited remuneration. The definition of community work in s 36 is extensive and should be carefully considered when advising upon ...

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  • Folder icon E. Damages
    • Item icon Economic loss
      Section 28F(1) of the Wrongs Act 1958 provides that the cap on awards for economic loss applies to an award of damages:

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    • Item icon Future economic loss
      In determining an award of damages for future economic loss, the court must determine the plaintiff’s most likely future circumstances but for the injury and then estimate how much the plaintiff would have earned during their remaining lifetime, had the injury not occurred. The court can only do ...

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    • Item icon Non-economic loss
      A plaintiff is not entitled to recover any damages for non-economic loss, that is general damages for pain and suffering, unless the plaintiff has suffered significant injury: s 28LE. A significant injury requires that the degree of whole person impairment, WPI, has been assessed in ...

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    • Item icon Convenor of Medical Panels - Information for claimants
    • Item icon Certificate of assessment
      The approved medical practitioner who makes the assessment must provide a certificate to the person who sought the assessment, stating whether or not the degree of impairment resulting from the injury satisfies the threshold level – but not stating the specific degree of impairment: s 28LN. ...

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    • Item icon Certificate of assessment of degree of impairment arising from stabilised injury
    • Item icon Agreement to waive assessment of impairment
    • Item icon Certificate of assessment of degree of impairment where injury has not stabilised
    • Item icon Claimant prescribed information form
    • Item icon Letter to respondent enclosing request for agreement to waive assessment of impairment
    • Item icon Letter to medical practitioner requesting impairment assessment
    • Item icon Letter to respondent enclosing certificate of assessment and prescribed information
    • Item icon Convenor of Medical Panels - Directions as to the procedure of medical panels (under Part VBA of the Wrongs Act) 2015
    • Item icon Convenor of Medical Panels - Information for referrers pursuant to s 28WLE
    • Item icon Letter to medical panel enclosing relevant material
    • Item icon Summons
    • Item icon Clause - Summons for application under s 28LZN
    • Item icon Affidavit
    • Item icon Clause - Affidavit in support of application under s 28LZN
    • Item icon Other claims
      Gratuitous attendant care services Damages for gratuitous attendant care services are for services of a domestic nature, services relating to nursing, and services that aim to alleviate the consequences of an injury. These services are provided by another person to the claimant, for which the ...

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  • Folder icon F. Supporting and preparing the claim
    • Item icon Gathering factual evidence
      It is important to gain a firm understanding of what the factual evidence relevant to liability and consequent loss is likely to be before:

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    • Item icon General authority
    • Item icon Letter to plaintiff seeking documents and advice on medicals and investigation
    • Item icon Letter to plaintiff advising of medical appointment
    • Item icon Letter to plaintiff on mitigation of damages
    • Item icon Letter to plaintiff on claim for domestic assistance
    • Item icon Request under the Freedom of Information Act
    • Item icon FOI Request Form
    • Folder icon Ambulance
      • Item icon Freedom of information
      • Item icon Request for Access to Documents under Freedom of Information
      • Item icon Authority for ambulance service report
    • Folder icon Centrelink
      • Item icon Centrelink - Authority to release personal information - personal injury, insurance, superannuation or other matter
      • Item icon Centrelink - Freedom of Information - request to access or change document(s)
    • Folder icon Medicare
      • Item icon Medicare Australia - Request for Medicare claims information
      • Item icon Medicare Australia - Request for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims information
    • Folder icon Employer
      • Item icon Authority to employer to provide loss of income details
      • Item icon Letter to employer for income details
      • Item icon AI Prompt for an Affidavit of an employer (evidence of loss of earnings)
    • Folder icon General
      • Item icon AI Prompt for an Affidavit of a family member
      • Item icon AI Prompt for an Affidavit of an eyewitness
    • Folder icon Hospital
      • Item icon Authority for hospital report
      • Item icon Letter to hospital for reports with authority and fees
      • Item icon Health Records Act – Access to health records and maximum fees
      • Item icon FOI Request Form
    • Folder icon Police
      • Item icon Authority for police reports – Victoria Police website
      • Item icon Traffic Accident Report – Victoria Police website
      • Item icon Authority for police reports
    • Folder icon ATO
      • Item icon Copies of tax documents request
    • Item icon Obtaining expert opinion
      Ensure all experts are provided with a copy of the Expert Witness Code of Conduct. A precedent Letter Instructing Non-Medical Expert Witness is on the matter plan. Many experts, particularly treating medical practitioners, are very busy and wait times for reports can be several months. It is ...

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    • Folder icon Non - Medical expert
      • Item icon Letter instructing non-medical expert witness
      • Item icon Expert witness code of conduct
      • Item icon Letter to other side serving expert report
    • Folder icon Doctor and specialist
      • Item icon Authority for medical records - General
      • Item icon Initial letter to treating doctor for report
      • Item icon Letter to doctor for detailed report
      • Item icon Expert witness code of conduct
      • Item icon Letter to doctor seeking time for payment
      • Item icon Letter requesting independent specialist report
      • Item icon Letter to other side serving expert report
      • Item icon Irrevocable authority to pay doctor
    • Item icon Briefing counsel
      Briefing counsel experienced in personal injury claims is usually appropriate, preferably at an early stage, rather than just before trial. This helps to ensure the claim is properly pleaded, prepared and presented, as counsel will identify any difficulties in the claim, or evidentiary ...

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    • Item icon Brief to counsel - Injuries
    • Item icon Example content - Brief to counsel - Injuries
    • Item icon AI Prompt for brief to counsel for personal injury claim
  • Folder icon G. Settling the matter
    • Item icon Costs disclosure before settlement
      See 101 Costs Answers for more information on costs disclosure generally. In litigation matters, the lawyer’s disclosure obligation extends to giving the client a reasonable estimate of the costs that will be payable if the matter is settled, including any costs of another party that are likely to ...

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    • Item icon Letter to client - Costs disclosure before settlement - NSW, VIC, and WA
    • Item icon Instructions to settle
    • Item icon Authority and instructions to negotiate costs
    • Item icon Authority to receive - Direction to pay
    • Item icon Authority and instructions for payment of settlement or award
    • Item icon Summary of medical expenses
    • Item icon Minutes of Consent Orders pursuant to Rule 59 06
    • Item icon Clause - Consent orders pursuant to Rule 59.06
    • Item icon Mediation
      Parties are free to engage in mediation at any time before or after proceedings are commenced. Both the County and Supreme Courts will order mediation of all proceedings. An order will be made as part of the first directions and is included in the standard orders. This will usually be no later ...

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    • Item icon Offers of compromise and Calderbank offers
      Offers to settle can take two forms:

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    • Item icon Offer of compromise
    • Item icon Calderbank offer before commencement of proceedings
    • Item icon Deductions and preclusions
      Before seeking instructions to settle, it is very important to obtain a full and detailed summary of all amounts which are likely to be deducted from any sum payable to the claimant. These may include:

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    • Folder icon Medicare
      • Item icon Letter to plaintiff with Medicare authority
      • Item icon Letter to plaintiff to complete Medicare statement and electronic funds transfer forms
      • Item icon Letter to Medicare for details of payments with authority
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery information for insurers - Department of Human Services - Medicare
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Medicare history statement request
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Third party authority (no bar code)
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Section 23A statement
    • Folder icon Centrelink
      • Item icon Centrelink compensation information for solicitors and insurers - Department of Human Services - Centrelink
      • Item icon Centrelink - Authority to release personal information - personal injury, insurance, superannuation or other matter
      • Item icon Form SS313 - Authorising a person or organisation to enquire or act on your behalf - Department of Human Services - Centrelink
      • Item icon Centrelink - Freedom of Information - request to access or change document(s)
    • Folder icon Private health insurance
      • Item icon Letter to private health insurer seeking repayment statement
    • Item icon Form of settlement
      Settlements are nearly always in the form of a lump sum payment in full and final settlement of the plaintiff’s claim. They can be either inclusive or exclusive of costs. If the settlement does not include costs, then the amount of costs is effectively a separate negotiation. This negotiation ...

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    • Item icon When settlement fails
      If negotiations or mediation are unsuccessful, preparations should be made for court. In fact, such preparations should have been ongoing and concurrent with settlement negotiations. A court hearing is always a possibility in personal injury claims, even though most cases settle, so every case ...

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  • Folder icon H. Going to court
    • Item icon Jurisdiction and court procedures
      Personal injuries claims can be brought either in the County Court or the Supreme Court. The County Court no longer has any jurisdictional limit. There are procedures to transfer cases between the two courts. Where the court feels that the case is better heard in the other court, it may transfer ...

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    • Item icon Civil Procedure Act obligations
      The Civil Procedure Act 2010 (VIC) imposes overarching obligations on litigants and legal practitioners in the conduct of litigation. It is imperative that all practitioners understand and abide by the overarching obligations. The consequences for breach can be dire. A good resource for ...

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    • Item icon Certification of prior overarching obligations certification
    • Item icon Proper Basis Certification
    • Item icon County Court case management
      See the County Court (VIC) guides for more information. The County Court uses active case management to ensure matters proceed steadily.

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    • Item icon Supreme Court case management
      See the Supreme Court (VIC) guides for more information.

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    • Item icon Specialist lists
      In the Supreme Court, personal injuries claims are dealt with in four specialist lists:

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    • Item icon Personal Injury List - Request for consent orders first directions
    • Item icon Dust Diseases List: Request for consent orders – First Directions (form)
    • Item icon Institutional Liability List: Request for consent orders – First Directions (form)
    • Item icon Civil Circuit List: Request for consent orders – First Directions (form)
    • Item icon Letter to plaintiff advising of hearing date
    • Item icon Letter to witness with arrangements for attendance at hearing
    • Item icon Statement of claim
      The Supreme and County Courts are courts of strict pleading. All pleadings must comply with Order 13 of the Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2015 and Order 13 of the County Court Civil Procedure Rules 2018. The statement of claim must be either attached to the writ or served ...

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    • Item icon Writ
    • Item icon Example content - Pleadings and particulars - Slip and fall
    • Item icon Example content - Pleadings and particulars - Injury on road or footpath
    • Item icon Particulars of economic loss
    • Item icon Interrogatories
      Interrogatories are questions administered to another party that must be answered and verified by affidavit: r 30.04. Neither the interrogatories nor the answer must be in a prescribed form. Interrogatories are administered to elicit relevant admissions in the proceedings.

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    • Item icon Answers to interrogatories (County Court)
    • Item icon Answers to interrogatories (Supreme Court)
    • Item icon Notice of default in answering interrogatories
    • Item icon Discovery
      Discovery is usually the first step after the close of pleadings. It is a process of identification, listing and production of documents for inspection by the parties to proceedings. Its purpose is to prevent surprises at trial where documents may be tendered of which a party is unaware.

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    • Item icon Notice for discovery (County Court)
    • Item icon Notice for discovery (Supreme Court)
    • Item icon AI Prompt for an Affidavit of documents
    • Item icon Notice of default in making discovery of documents
    • Item icon Subpoenas and notices to produce
      Parties must issue subpoenas as early as possible so that documents can be produced and inspected and are available for the proper preparation of the case, including submission to experts.

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    • Item icon Notice to produce
    • Item icon Subpoena to attend to give evidence
    • Item icon Subpoena to produce
    • Item icon Subpoena both to attend to give evidence and to produce
    • Item icon Subpoena for production to the prothonotary
    • Item icon Adjournments
      The court will only grant adjournment applications where there are very good reasons. The failure to comply with orders will normally not be a reason for adjournment. If the matter will not be ready to proceed by the trial date, apply for adjournment as soon as possible. Do not wait until the ...

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    • Item icon Court books, key documents files, joint memoranda and joint chronologies
      In appropriate cases, the court may ask the parties to produce a joint chronology or a joint memorandum outlining the real issues in dispute, or a file of key documents. This is helpful to the court in factually complex cases. It is important to include in the key documents file only documents ...

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    • Item icon Schedule of medical and expert reports
  • Folder icon I. Judgement and costs
    • Item icon After the hearing
      The case is not over and the file is not dead the very second that the judge leaves the bench after each side has made final submissions. Do not give in to the temptation to chuck all the notes and documents in a box and wave goodbye to the client. The file, which has inevitably been torn apart in ...

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    • Item icon Costs
      Costs orders Costs ordinarily follow the event. This means that whichever party loses a particular application, or the ultimate trial, is ordered to pay the successful party’s costs.

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    • Item icon Taxation of costs and time for payment
      In most cases, the parties will usually agree the amount of costs to be paid. If they do not agree, the amount of the costs has to be referred to the Costs Court who will quantify how much is to be paid by reference to the court scale. This process is called taxation. In the context of costs, the ...

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    • Item icon Costs disclosure before settlement
      See 101 Costs Answers for more information on costs disclosure generally. In litigation matters, the lawyer’s disclosure obligation extends to giving the client a reasonable estimate of the costs that will be payable if the matter is settled, including any costs of another party that are likely to ...

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    • Item icon Medicare and Centrelink notification
      Before a defendant will hand over any money they must be given a Notice of Charge from Medicare, see above, and Centrelink, if applicable, as well as an Authority to Receive/Direction to Pay. This precedent can be found on the matter plan, in the folder G. Settling it early. See the more detailed ...

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  • Folder icon J. Finalising the matter
    • Folder icon If required - Medicare and Centrelink
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Notice of judgment or settlement
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Section 23A statement
      • Item icon Medicare compensation recovery - Bank account details collection (no bar code)
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