Legal Project Management Plan & Checklist
Use this fork when the expert quantity surveyor's final costing report or the compiled Scott Schedule reveals that the total rectification and delay damages claim exceeds NCAT's ,000 jurisdictional cap. At this point, the client faces a strategic choice: voluntarily waive the excess amount to keep the claim in NCAT, or transfer proceedings to the NSW District Court (claims up to ,000) or NSW Supreme Court (unlimited jurisdiction) to recover the full amount.
| Field | Token | Type | Required | Defined in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matter(4) | ||||
| Matter numberⓘ | matter.matterNumber | text | ||
This fork operates in the NSW District Court (claims up to ,000) or NSW Supreme Court (unlimited jurisdiction), depending on the total claim quantum. Full court procedures apply under the Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), including formal pleadings, discovery, and the requirement to brief counsel.
Written advice is given to the client on both options, and written instructions are obtained. If the client elects to transfer, the Promina warning is assessed first: if the claim exceeded ,000 at the time the NCAT application was originally filed, NCAT lacked jurisdiction from the outset and cannot make a valid transfer order. In that case, a Notice of Discontinuance is filed in NCAT and a fresh Statement of Claim is filed directly in the District or Supreme Court. If NCAT did have jurisdiction from the outset (the quantum was not known to exceed ,000 until expert costing was completed), a Transfer Application is filed under s 19 CATA supported by an expert affidavit. The Scott Schedule is reformatted as a formal court pleading schedule. Court case management directions are obtained.
Key legislation: Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW) s 19 (transfer of proceedings to court), s 34B (filing fee credit on transfer); Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) ss 18B and 18E (implied warranties and limitation periods apply equally in court); Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) (applies in full in both courts). Promina Design and Construction v the Owners Strata Plan No 97449 [2023] NSWCATAP 252: if the claim exceeded ,000 before the NCAT application was ever filed, NCAT lacked jurisdiction from the outset and cannot make a valid s 19 transfer order - the practitioner must discontinue the NCAT application and file a fresh Statement of Claim in court, meaning the limitation period clock kept running throughout the NCAT period. District Court filing: claims ,001 to ,000. Supreme Court filing: claims over ,000.
* 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 Building: Residential Home Building Dispute - Defective Work (Owner) - Claim Over $500,000 - Transfer to District or Supreme Court 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 Construction Law cases, outlining the standard DISPUTE_LITIGATION process. Utilize these tracking templates to manage your legal cases efficiently.
| 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 |
The client has made an informed decision on the preferred forum strategy and written instructions are on file.
The matter is in the correct court forum with a valid Statement of Claim on foot and limitation periods protected.
All NCAT-formatted documents have been converted to court-compliant format and the matter is on a court case management pathway.
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