The hands and feet of civil litigation are process servers. Good process serving is crucial to the success of civil litigation. Millions of dollars in settlements and fees depend on it. Therefore, you mustou have a reliable service provider that can quickly serve documents and prevent cases from becoming complicated as they progress upstream. This article will help law firms identify the characteristics of a process server that is reliable, efficient, and can be a strategic partner to them.
Most states do not require any special education or licensing for process servers. This is why it is common to hear the phrase, “Almost anyone can become a process server.” They are highly valued for their reliability, efficiency, and efficacy. A few qualities distinguish the best Illinois Process Server from those who are just adequate.
These are particularly important for process servers that attempt to serve parties that may evade service. Some defendants may try to avoid service by displaying various behaviors, from not answering the door to leaving the state. Professional process servers are trained to handle these situations, overcome them and serve legal papers.
If a process server is resourceful, it can adjust variables like location, presentation, identity, and other factors to serve documents. This is how an imaginative server might adjust to fit a mysterious client:
Floral delivery: This scenario sees the process server acting as the delivery person and delivering flowers to defendants at bona fide events such as the defendant’s anniversary, birthday, or holiday observation. If the person answering the door hesitates to let the process servers into their home, the server will state that the flower arrangement must be given to the recipient personally.
When the server meets the party face to face, he asks, “Are you Jane Doe?” After the party answers in the affirmative, the process server gives the documents and flowers to the defendant. Some process servers can disguise themselves as delivery people and attach a subpoena inside a pizza box. Or they can dress up like a parcel delivery service to hand over documents and attach them to a package.
Sometimes it is more economical to wait for a party than to return to the same address multiple times. A good process server will know that sometimes waiting for the party to show up at a place they are familiar with is the best solution. The server must be patient and ensure that the service is done lawfully. They may also offer a stakeout, which is usually an additional charge.
Sometimes process servers might be tempted to ignore the rules and leave documents at an address where the recipient is not there. Law firms need to research the reputation of any service provider to ensure they are ethical and can withstand scrutiny. It is not a 9-to-5 job. High-performing process servers will work long hours and be willing to do odd jobs of necessary. This is particularly helpful when defendants are not likely to be present at a given location at a particular time.
This case sees the process server defeating an evasive defendant by simply putting in the effort, time travel, and effort necessary to meet the person when and where they are available.