When Do You Need Expert Evidence At VCAT Hearings? - SPI Property Inspections

When Do You Need Expert Evidence At VCAT Hearings?

Presenting expert evidence at a VCAT court hearing

If you find yourself in a situation where a building dispute cannot be resolved and you are considering the VCAT process, we recommend that you call us for some professional guidance. Building disputes can become very costly and you will need to make a few key decisions on what to do next. Our team at SPI can assist in this process.

When you contact SPI, we will ask you the following questions:

  • What are the dispute matters?
  • Who is involved in the dispute (e.g. builder and owner of property)?
  • What is the date of the VCAT hearing?
  • What is the deadline for submitting expert evidence for your VCAT hearing? Please note: if you have a set hearing date, you will need to provide expert evidence prior to this date. SPI would need sufficient time to prepare the expert evidence in order to meet your deadline.
  • Who will provide access to the property?
  • Do you have any supporting documentation that can be emailed to the office?

From this information, we will be able to determine the best way we can help your case, either by providing:

  1. Expert Evidence in the form of a written report and/or
  2. Expert Witness to present evidence in person on the hearing day.

Written Report
Expert Evidence is presented in the form of a written report that is recommended by the Tribunal. SPI can prepare expert evidence for you which will outline the defect/s in the dispute, stating the facts and including an expert opinion about the matter.

Expert Witness
If you decide to employ the services of an expert witness, our inspectors can present evidence to the Tribunal, providing fair and unbiased evidence to VCAT. It’s important to know that an expert witness has the duty to VCAT and cannot act as an advocate for one of the parties involved in the dispute.

Attending your Hearing
It’s important to start your preparation early in order to gather all your evidence and support findings. If applicable, you also want to provide your expert witness sufficient time to assist you and be available on the hearing day. Here are some suggestions for preparing for your court hearing:

  • Visit the VCAT website and become familiar with how VCAT works.
  • Be clear on what you would like VCAT to do or decide for your case.
  • Be prepared to answer any questions directed towards your application.
  • Become familiar with your supporting documentation and evidence to support your case.

The costs to engage our services will be discussed with you upon application and will be dependent on the amount of time required to prepare the expert evidence and/or act as an expert witness in a court hearing.

Our Inspectors have considerable knowledge and experience in guiding, preparing and supporting clients through the VCAT process. Contact us today by emailing info@spipropertyinspections.com.au or phone us on
1300 721 032.