Tools

When I asked my solicitor how loss of income is calculated the closest answer to explanation was "it is complicated". From what I learned later is that it is simple and straight forward. These tools are based on my experience.

While we put our best effort to ensure that calculation is correct we are not specialist in this area, so please have it checked by specialist before using calculators results in your matter.

Calculators (examples):

• Income loss calculator : example , calculation
• Interest calculator: Example , calculation
• Claim calculator: see example in the section below
• Legal fees calculator Example, calculation
• Statement of Claim Calculator: see example in the section below

User restricted:

• Email list,
• Document Bundle Creator.

Income loss calculator

Income loss calculator estimates past and future loss of income after a motor vehicle injury.

The calculator uses the personal injury date to select the applicable NSW motor-accident scheme:

• Injuries before 1 December 2017 use the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999.
• Injuries on or after 1 December 2017 use the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017.

The result is an estimate only. It does not determine the amount that a court, insurer or Personal Injury Commission will ultimately award.

Information entered into the calculator

Field	Description	How it is used
Personal injury date	The date of the accident or injury.	Automatically selects the applicable legal regime.
Income before personal injury	Income earned before the injury.	Converted to a weekly amount.
Income after personal injury	Current or expected income after the injury.	Converted to a weekly amount and deducted from the pre-injury income.
Income period	Weekly, monthly or yearly.	Monthly income is converted using income × 12 ÷ 52. Yearly income is converted using income ÷ 52.
Calculation date	The date separating past loss from projected future loss.	If empty, today's date is used.
End date	Recovery date or retirement date.	Determines how long the future loss is projected.
Recovery date	The date income loss is expected to end.	If empty, the calculation continues to today's date.
Birth date and retirement age	Used when the retirement option is selected.	The retirement date is calculated from the birth date and selected retirement age.
Retirement date	A specific expected retirement date.	Used directly as the end date for future loss.

Calculation method

The basic weekly loss is calculated as:

Weekly loss = adjusted income before injury - income after injury

The calculator does not allow a negative weekly loss. If post-injury income is higher than pre-injury income, the weekly loss is treated as zero.

The final result is calculated as:

Total = past income loss + future income loss + estimated superannuation

The calculator currently adds an estimated 9% superannuation amount to the calculated income loss.

Pre-1 December 2017 calculation

For accidents before 1 December 2017:

• Income is treated on a net income basis.
• The calculator uses a weekly pre-injury income cap of $4,512.
• Past loss is calculated as weekly loss multiplied by the number of past weeks.
• Future loss is projected to the selected end date.
• Future loss is discounted at 5% per year.
• An estimated 9% superannuation amount is added.

The $4,512 cap and 5% discount rate are the values currently implemented in the calculator. The applicable statutory amount should be verified for the particular accident date and claim.

On or after 1 December 2017 calculation

For accidents on or after 1 December 2017:

• Income is treated on a gross income basis.
• Past loss is calculated as weekly loss multiplied by the number of past weeks.
• Future weeks 1–13 use 95% of the weekly loss.
• Future weeks 14 and later use 80% of the weekly loss in this calculator.
• An estimated 9% superannuation amount is added.

The 95% first-period rate is based on section 3.6 of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017. The calculator uses a simplified projection for later future weeks and should not be treated as a complete assessment of statutory benefits or damages.

Important limitations

The calculator does not automatically account for:

• contributory negligence;
• changes in earning capacity;
• promotions, unemployment or career changes;
• tax adjustments;
• statutory benefit limits and payment periods;
• Medicare or Centrelink recoveries;
• partial impairment;
• vicissitudes or contingencies;
• medical evidence; or
• legal costs.

The calculation should be checked against the applicable legislation, regulations, guidelines and evidence for the particular claim.

Official sources

• Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999
• Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 - statutory benefits
• Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 - damages
• SIRA - statutory benefits
• SIRA - common law damages
• Judicial Commission of NSW - damages
• Judicial Commission - personal injury legal framework

Interest calculator

Interest calculator estimates pre-judgment and post-judgment interest for a selected amount and date range.

The calculator applies simple interest separately to each NSW interest-rate period:

Interest = Amount × annual interest rate × number of days ÷ 365

Days are counted inclusively. Interest is not compounded.

Interest types

• Pre-judgment interest applies to the period before judgment.
• Post-judgment interest applies to the period after judgment.
• The court may apply a different rate or decide that interest should not be awarded.

Source of the rates

The rate periods used by the calculator were taken from the project's interest-rate workbook and are stored in the calculator code in the INTEREST_RATE_PERIODS table.

The rates are checked against the official NSW court information:

• NSW Local Court interest rates
• District Court Practice Note DC (Civil) No. 15
• Civil Procedure Act 2005, sections 100–101
• Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005

For the period from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026, the rates are:

• Pre-judgment: 8.35%
• Post-judgment: 10.35%

Interest-rate table used by the calculator

Period	Pre-judgment rate	Post-judgment rate
1972-07-01 to 1973-12-31	5.00%	5.00%
1974-01-01 to 1980-12-31	10.00%	10.00%
1981-01-01 to 1981-06-30	13.50%	13.50%
1981-07-01 to 1982-06-30	14.50%	14.50%
1982-07-01 to 1983-12-31	15.50%	15.50%
1984-01-01 to 1985-12-31	14.50%	14.50%
1986-01-01 to 1986-06-30	18.25%	18.25%
1986-07-01 to 1987-10-31	19.50%	19.50%
1987-11-01 to 1988-02-29	18.00%	18.00%
1988-03-01 to 1989-02-28	15.00%	15.00%
1989-03-01 to 1989-08-31	17.00%	17.00%
1989-09-01 to 1990-08-31	21.00%	21.00%
1990-09-01 to 1991-02-28	19.00%	19.00%
1991-03-01 to 1991-08-31	17.00%	17.00%
1991-09-01 to 1992-02-28	15.00%	15.00%
1992-02-29 to 1992-08-31	13.00%	13.00%
1992-09-01 to 1993-08-31	11.25%	11.25%
1993-09-01 to 1995-02-28	10.50%	10.50%
1995-03-01 to 1997-02-28	12.00%	12.00%
1997-03-01 to 1997-08-31	10.50%	10.50%
1997-09-01 to 1998-08-31	10.00%	10.00%
1998-09-01 to 2000-02-29	9.50%	9.50%
2000-03-01 to 2000-08-31	10.00%	10.00%
2000-09-01 to 2001-08-31	11.00%	11.00%
2001-09-01 to 2002-02-28	10.00%	10.00%
2002-03-01 to 2006-12-31	9.00%	9.00%
2007-01-01 to 2009-03-05	10.00%	10.00%
2009-03-06 to 2010-06-30	9.00%	9.00%
2010-07-01 to 2010-12-31	8.50%	10.50%
2011-01-01 to 2011-06-30	8.75%	10.75%
2011-07-01 to 2011-12-31	8.75%	10.75%
2012-01-01 to 2012-06-30	8.25%	10.25%
2012-07-01 to 2012-12-31	7.50%	9.50%
2013-01-01 to 2013-06-30	7.00%	9.00%
2013-07-01 to 2013-12-31	6.75%	8.75%
2014-01-01 to 2014-06-30	6.50%	8.50%
2014-07-01 to 2014-12-31	6.50%	8.50%
2015-01-01 to 2015-06-30	6.50%	8.50%
2015-07-01 to 2015-12-31	6.00%	8.00%
2016-01-01 to 2016-06-30	6.00%	8.00%
2016-07-01 to 2016-12-31	5.75%	7.75%
2017-01-01 to 2017-06-30	5.50%	7.50%
2017-07-01 to 2017-12-31	5.50%	7.50%
2018-01-01 to 2018-06-30	5.50%	7.50%
2018-07-01 to 2018-12-31	5.50%	7.50%
2019-01-01 to 2019-06-30	5.50%	7.50%
2019-07-01 to 2019-12-31	5.25%	7.25%
2020-01-01 to 2020-06-30	4.75%	6.75%
2020-07-01 to 2020-12-31	4.25%	6.25%
2021-01-01 to 2021-06-30	4.10%	6.10%
2021-07-01 to 2021-12-31	4.10%	6.10%
2022-01-01 to 2022-06-30	4.10%	6.10%
2022-07-01 to 2022-12-31	4.85%	6.85%
2023-01-01 to 2023-06-30	7.10%	9.10%
2023-07-01 to 2023-12-31	8.10%	10.10%
2024-01-01 to 2024-06-30	8.35%	10.35%
2024-07-01 to 2024-12-31	8.35%	10.35%
2025-01-01 to 2025-06-30	8.35%	10.35%
2025-07-01 to 2025-12-31	7.85%	9.85%
2026-01-01 to 2026-06-30	7.60%	9.60%
2026-07-01 to 2026-12-31	8.35%	10.35%

The rates and official sources should be reviewed whenever NSW publishes a new interest-rate period.

Claim calculator

Calculator. Examples:

• Personal injury claim: 2015-03-30 road traffic injury, calculation.
• NSW court case against Peter Livers, calculation

Forms and applications

Form 3B – Statement of Claim

is the NSW court form used when the person filing the claim is acting in person rather than being legally represented.

The official PDF can be downloaded here:

• Form 3B – Statement of Claim (official PDF)

Personal Injury Commission – Pathway Portal

Motor accident disputes before the Personal Injury Commission (PIC) are generally lodged through the Commission's online Pathway Portal. The portal is used to complete applications, upload supporting documents, communicate with the Commission and access information about the dispute.

• Personal Injury Commission – Pathway Portal
• PIC – Applying online and information about lodging a dispute

Legal fees calculator

Legal fees calculator - estimates the legal fees that you can get back after completing your claim.

Any legal dispute may incur some costs. If you go to court or tribunal some legal fees often are covered by the party that loses. There is a strict regulation of maximum of reimbursed legal fees for personal injury claims. Unfortunately, Livers, my solicitor at that time, did not informed me at that time nor he submitted a request to compensate legal fees, so I got less than I was entitled to. To check what I got and what I could have got I created legal fees calculator.

Here is an example of use of legal fees calculator based on my case. There is a calculation of fees that I got and what I could have got if Livers, my solicitor, did his job.

The allowed maximums are based on Motor Accidents Compensation Regulation 2020.

Statement of claim calculator

Statement of Claim Form 3B calculator estimates the principal amount of a civil claim, interest and the main filing and service costs that may be associated with starting proceedings in NSW.

The calculator is based on the official Form 3B - Statement of Claim. It is an estimate only. It does not determine whether a claim will succeed, whether interest will be awarded, or which costs a court will ultimately allow.

How the calculator selects the court

The calculator uses the claim type and amount to select the likely court:

• General civil claims up to $100,000: Local Court.
• General civil claims above $100,000 and up to $1,250,000: District Court.
• General civil claims above $1,250,000: Supreme Court.
• Motor accident claims: District Court regardless of the amount claimed.
• Work injury claims: District Court regardless of the amount claimed.

A District Court proceeding above $1,250,000 may be possible in limited circumstances, such as where the applicable consent or jurisdictional rule is satisfied. The correct court should be confirmed before filing.

The court selection made by the calculator is an initial estimate and is not legal advice.

How the total is calculated

The calculator adds the following amounts:

TOTAL = Amount of claim + Interest + Filing fees + Service fees + Solicitors fees

• Amount of claim is the principal amount of damages claimed.
• Interest is an estimated amount calculated from the claim amount and selected dates.
• Filing fees are paid to the court when the claim is lodged.
• Service fees are paid to serve the court documents on the defendant.
• Solicitors fees are entered manually because they depend on the costs agreement, work performed and any costs order.

The calculator does not decide whether any amount will ultimately be awarded by the court.

Calculator fields

Field	Description	How the calculator uses it	Source
Amount of claim	The principal amount of damages claimed, before adding interest, filing fees, service fees or solicitors fees.	Used to calculate interest, select the likely court and calculate the total.	Form 3B - Statement of Claim
Claim type	General civil claim, motor accident claim or work injury claim.	Determines whether the Local Court, District Court or Supreme Court is likely to apply.	NSW District Court jurisdiction
Court	The court selected automatically from the claim type and amount.	General civil claims above $1,250,000 are directed to the Supreme Court by the calculator.	NSW court jurisdiction information
Filing party	The person or organisation filing the claim, such as an individual or corporation.	Filing fees differ between individuals and corporations.	District Court fees / Supreme Court fees
Interest	Estimated pre-judgment interest on the amount of the claim.	Uses the selected start date, end date and NSW published interest-rate periods. This is an estimate and interest is not automatically awarded.	NSW interest rates and Civil Procedure Act 2005, section 100
Filing fees	The fee paid to the court when the claim is lodged.	Calculated automatically according to the selected court and filing party. Court fees may change each financial year.	Local Court fees, District Court fees and Supreme Court fees
Service fees	The cost of serving the filed documents on the defendant.	May include NSW Sheriff service, Local Court postal service or a private process server quotation.	NSW Sheriff's Office fees
Solicitors fees	Estimated legal fees charged by a solicitor.	Entered manually because the amount depends on the costs agreement, work performed and any costs order.	Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005
Basis document links	Links to documents supporting the amount of claim or solicitors fees.	Users may paste links to spreadsheets, agreements, fee schedules or other supporting documents. These links do not affect the calculation.	User-provided supporting documents
Total	The amount of the claim plus interest, filing fees, service fees and solicitors fees.	Adds all amounts shown in the calculator.	This is an estimate and should be checked before filing.

Filing fees are paid to the court to lodge the claim. Service fees are paid to serve the court documents on the defendant. They are separate costs.

Current filing fee examples

The calculator currently uses the following originating-process filing fees:

Court	Individual	Corporation
Local Court - General Division	$370	$740
Local Court - Small Claims Division	$179	$358
District Court	$1,119	$2,240
Supreme Court	$1,443	$3,949

These rates are examples based on the current fee schedules. Court fees may change and the official fee schedule should always be checked before filing.

Service fee calculation

The service fee depends on the method selected:

• NSW Sheriff: calculated by the number of addresses and attempts.
• Local Court postal service: calculated by the number of addresses.
• Private process server: the quoted or charged amount is entered manually.

Service fees are separate from filing fees and are not included in the court filing fee.

Official forms and information

• Form 3B - Statement of Claim
• NSW Uniform Civil Procedure Rules forms
• How to file a Statement of Claim
• NSW District Court jurisdiction
• NSW courts and jurisdiction information
• NSW Local Court fees
• NSW District Court civil fees
• NSW Supreme Court filing fees
• Supreme Court fee schedule from 1 July 2026
• NSW Sheriff's Office fees
• NSW court interest rates
• Civil Procedure Act 2005 - section 100
• Civil Liability Act 2002
• Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017