Claim (UCPR) (Form 2)

Rule 22 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) requires a claim to be in the approved form, which is Form 2. The plaintiff must briefly state the nature of the claim or the relief sought, attach a statement of claim, and, in the District Court or a Magistrates Court, show the court has jurisdiction (r 22(2)). The claim must tell the defendant the time limit for filing a notice of intention to defend and that default judgment may be obtained without further notice if they do not (r 23). A claim stays in force for 1 year from filing and can be renewed by the registrar if it has not been served (r 24).

When you need it

• You are starting a civil proceeding in the Supreme, District or Magistrates Courts of Queensland, and the rules do not require or permit you to start by originating application.
• You are suing for money owed, damages or other relief where the facts are likely to be in dispute.
• Not for an application within an existing proceeding, and not where an Act requires an application to the court. Use Form 5 for those cases.

1. 1

   Complete the heading

   Choose the court and add the registry and the names of the plaintiff and each defendant. The proceeding number is allocated on filing.

2. 2

   State the relief claimed

   Under 'The plaintiff claims', state concisely what you are asking the court for, for example payment of a sum, damages, interest and costs. The detailed facts go in the attached statement of claim.

3. 3

   Leave the registry block

   The place and date of filing, and the registrar's signature and seal, are completed by the registry when the claim is issued. Insert the street address of the registry where indicated.

4. 4

   Keep or delete the optional notes

   For the Magistrates Court, include the note about minor claims and simplified procedures (see r 515). Keep the representative capacity paragraphs only if a party sues or is sued in a representative capacity (r 18), and the cross-vesting paragraph only if relevant, which applies only in the Supreme Court (r 53).

5. 5

   Give the plaintiff's particulars

   Name, residential or business address, solicitor and address for service, or if you have no solicitor, your own address for service, telephone number, and fax and email if any (r 17).

6. 6

   Sign and list who is to be served

   The plaintiff or solicitor signs, describes the signatory and dates the claim, then inserts each defendant's name and address for service.

• File the claim and statement of claim together, in the central registry of the court or in the district where a defendant lives or carries on business, or where the cause of action arose (r 35).
• A filing fee applies. Check the current fee schedule for the court you are filing in.
• After filing, serve the claim and statement of claim personally on each defendant (rr 22(3), 105). The claim is in force for 1 year from filing. If it has not been served, the registrar may renew it if reasonable efforts have been made to serve or there is another good reason (r 24).
• Legal practitioners entitled to practise in Queensland can lodge claim proceedings in the Supreme Court at Brisbane through the Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal (Principal Registrar Approval 1 of 2025).
• The defendant then has 28 days after service to file a notice of intention to defend (r 137).

• Keep the claim short. The facts belong in the statement of claim, which must follow the pleading rules in chapter 6 of the UCPR.
• If you are self-represented, keep your address for service up to date. The court's fact sheet says to file and serve a Form 90 notice of change of address if it changes.
• Leave renewal of an unserved claim too late and you may need the court's leave. Leave is required for any renewal period that falls on or after the fifth anniversary of the original filing date (r 24(4)).