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Prepare for the hearing

It’s important to prepare for your hearing day. There are documents to organise and decisions to make so you’re ready to present the best case possible.

Prepare your submission for the hearing – Planning disputes

Before your planning dispute is heard at VCAT, you’ll need to prepare a submission. Find out how.

Prepare evidence

Evidence helps you prove your side of the story and helps the VCAT member to decide how the matter should be resolved.

Witnesses and witness statements

Find out about different types of witnesses and what’s involved if you are asked to be a witness in a VCAT case.

Expert reports

An expert report is a written report from an expert that a party uses as evidence in a VCAT case.

On hearing day - Guardians and administrators

Hearings for cases about guardians and administrators are not based on resolving a conflict between two opposing sides. Instead, the hearing is focused on protecting the needs of the person who has, or needs, a substitute decision-maker.

Photography, recording, mobile phones and electronic devices

It is an offence to record any part of a VCAT hearing without permission (Court Security Act 1980).

What to expect after the hearing

When the final hearing is complete, VCAT makes a decision in the case.

Decisions

When VCAT makes a decision, we give an order in writing that states what must happen. Both parties must follow what the order says.

Decisions and orders

VCAT makes a decision in a matter after hearing the evidence, looking at the documents provided by each party and considering how the law applies to your case.