Guide · updated November 2026
Recovering an unpaid invoice in Victoria
Magistrates' Court of Victoria (up to $100,000)
File a complaint (the court's term for a civil claim) for the debt. Victoria has no separate small claims division in the Magistrates' Court, but claims up to $100,000 are heard there. If your customer is a consumer and the dispute is about goods or services, VCAT's civil claims list may also be an option.
Source: Magistrates' Court of Victoria
Most unpaid business invoices go to the Magistrates' Court. VCAT generally deals with consumer and trader disputes rather than general commercial debts.
In NSW, VIC and QLD you generally have 6 years from when the money became due to start a claim for a contract debt.
Owed money right now?
Do the free debt check, then get every reminder, the letter of demand and the small claims pack written for you, from A$29. You keep 100% of what you recover.
Free debt check Chase my invoiceMore: Letter of demand for an unpaid invoice: what to include · Unpaid invoice reminder emails that actually get paid · Recovering an unpaid invoice in NSW · QCAT minor debt claims for unpaid invoices · Can you charge interest on late invoices? · Payment plan agreements for overdue invoices · Statutory demands: a cautious explainer