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Why Do Lawyers Use Process Servers?

If you have hired an attorney to represent you in a legal matter, they may have told you that you would have to pay for a process server. Why do lawyers use process servers, and why are they important? Here’s what you need to know.

What Process Servers Do

Private process servers deliver court documents to individuals and companies named in the documents. They have a lot of guidelines and regulations that they must follow during this process. They must identify the person being served and ensure that proper service is handled. It is much more involved than simply knocking on a door and handing over papers.

The papers that process servers deliver depends on the case. Your lawyer may need a process server to serve a summons, a lawsuit, or a petition.

Why Just Process Servers?

Actually, private process servers aren’t the only ones that can serve papers and court documents. In most jurisdictions the sheriff’s department and deputies can serve papers as well. However, there are many reasons not to use the sheriff’s department. First, it can sometimes be more expensive than the private process server. Second, the sheriff’s department isn’t going to prioritize service of court documents, and you’ll get faster service from a private process server.

Why Not Registered Mail?

Some clients wonder why lawyers can’t send papers by registered mail. After all, you get a signed card that it was received, right? Unfortunately, one of those little green cards can be signed by anyone accepting it, not necessarily the intended recipient. This opens the window for the recipient to claim they were not served, which can derail or delay a case considerably. This is why courts have rules in place that only certified process servers and sheriff’s departments can serve papers.

If you have papers that need to be served, we can help. Contact us today for more information or to get started.