Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Run a Federal Court of Australia civil proceeding for the applicant: jurisdiction, genuine steps, pleadings, discovery, trial, costs and enforcement.
When does the Federal Court of Australia have jurisdiction over a civil claim?: The Court has the original jurisdiction vested in it by laws made by the Parliament (s 19(1), Federal Court of Australia Act 1976). Section 39B(1A)(c) of the Judiciary Act 1903 confers jurisdiction in any matter arising under a law made by the Parliament (other than a criminal matter), many Acts confer jurisdiction directly (for example s 138 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 for Australian Consumer Law claims), and s 32 of the Federal Court Act extends jurisdiction to associated matters as far as the Constitution permits.
What documents start a Federal Court proceeding?: An originating application in Form 15 stating the relief claimed and any Act and provision relied on (rr 8.01 and 8.03, ). A claim that includes damages must be accompanied by a statement of claim (Form 17) or a document a practice note permits, such as the concise statement of no more than 5 pages allowed by the (r 8.05). Unless the proceeding is excluded, the applicant also files a genuine steps statement (Form 16) under s 6 of the .
Defend a Federal Court of Australia civil claim as respondent: address for service, genuine steps reply, a defence in 28 days, cross-claims and costs.
How long does a respondent have to file a defence in the Federal Court?: Where the proceeding is on pleadings, the respondent must file a defence (Form 33) within 28 days after service of the statement of claim (r 16.32), and the applicant may file a reply (Form 34) within 14 days after being served with the defence (r 16.33). Before the first directions hearing the respondent must also file a notice of address for service (r 5.02) and, if the applicant filed one, a genuine steps statement (r 5.03). A respondent in default can face judgment on an application under r 5.23(2).
What happens if a party rejects a Part 25 offer to compromise?: If the applicant serves an offer in Form 45 that the respondent does not accept and the applicant then obtains a judgment more favourable than the offer, the applicant is entitled to party and party costs up to 11.00 am on the second business day after the offer was served and indemnity costs after that (r 25.14(3)). A respondent's rejected offer carries matching consequences for the applicant (r 25.14(1) and (2)). An offer must be open for at least 14 days (r 25.05(3)).
Jurisdiction: Federal Court of Australia, original jurisdiction exercised by a single judge (s 20(1) of the Federal Court Act). On filing, each matter is allocated to a docket judge in one of the Court's nine National Practice Areas; cases arising under a federal law that fall outside the specialist areas, such as common law negligence claims, equity suits and defamation actions, sit in Other Federal Jurisdiction (CPN-1 paras 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1). Documents are filed through the Court's eLodgment service.
The Process at a Glance: The applicant's lawyer confirms federal jurisdiction, diarises the limitation period and takes genuine steps to resolve the dispute. The originating application is filed with a statement of claim, concise statement or affidavit and the genuine steps statement, and a registrar fixes a return date. The documents are served personally at least 5 days before the first directions hearing (r 8.06). The respondent files a notice of address for service, its genuine steps statement and, on pleadings, a defence within 28 days. At the first case management hearing the docket judge sets the course to trial, including any discovery (which needs an order, r 20.12), evidence, mediation and a hearing date. After judgment the orders are entered, costs are fixed by a lump sum order or by taxation, and the judgment is enforced through the Supreme Court procedures of the State or Territory (s 53).
Key Legislation and Practice Notes: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) - s 19 (original jurisdiction), s 20 (single judge), s 31A (summary judgment), s 32 (associated matters), ss 37M and 37N (overarching purpose), s 43 (costs), ss 51A and 52 (interest), s 53 (enforcement) and s 53A (ADR referral). Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) as compiled at 11 June 2026 - r 1.61 (time), r 2.13 (titles), Part 5 (directions and default), Part 7 (orders before a proceeding starts), Part 8 (originating applications), Part 10 (service), Parts 15 and 16 (cross-claims and pleadings), Parts 20 to 22 (discovery, interrogatories and admissions), Parts 23 and 24 (experts and subpoenas), Part 25 (offers), Part 26 (summary judgment and discontinuance), Parts 29 and 30 (evidence and hearings) and Parts 39 to 42 (orders, costs, enforcement and contempt). Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 (Cth) - ss 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15 and 16. Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) - ss 67, 68, 97, 98, 99 and 100. Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) - ss 39B and 78B. Practice notes CPN-1, GPN-COSTS, GPN-SUBP and GPN-ENF on the Court's practice notes page.
* Disclaimer: We're nobody's lawyer, because we aren't lawyers. You are, so you know better than to take legal advice from an app. We also aren't accountants or dog trainers - just digital spirit guides taking zero liability for any of this. This site exists to gather the collective knowledge of practitioners like you. Verify everything and submit your feedback on the Federal Court Civil Proceeding (Applicant) matter plan to improve the playbook. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, it's a request for input.
This legal matter plan provides a structured workflow for Civil Litigation cases, outlining the standard LITIGATION process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
| Field | Token | Type | Required | Defined in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matter(4) | ||||
| Matter numberⓘ | matter.matterNumber | text | Required | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter title | matter.title | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter typeⓘ | matter.matterType | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Matter status | matter.status | text | - | inheritedmatter-core |
| Client(1) | ||||
| Client name | matter.clientName | text | Required | inheritedmatter-core |
A claim that belongs in the Federal Court, brought in time, after a documented attempt to resolve it.
Proceedings commenced on correct and complete originating material.
Valid service and a defined set of issues, or a default judgment.
Issues narrowed, a timetable to trial fixed, and settlement fully explored.
A final outcome by trial or by an enforceable settlement.
The judgment converted into money or compliance, and the file closed.
Got a question about this plan?
Ask in the practitioner Discord - edge cases, rule changes, and jurisdiction-specific nuances, all in one place.