A process server is responsible for delivering legal documents to a party involved in a legal case. Many people question why they should pay a process server when it appears a regular postman could do the job. The key reason is that legal documents must be delivered according to specific laws in each jurisdiction. This may involve handing the documents to the defendant directly, delivering them to someone at the same address, posting them in a visible spot, or even serving them to the individual’s lawyer. There are some legal papers that can be served via the post, but there are still rules governing how and when, and a Process Server can advise on this.
While this can sometimes be simple, there are often challenges, as the person being served may not want to receive the documents. This is where a process server’s skills become crucial. In many cases the court will also order that the papers should be served by a process server or bailiff.
After the delivery, the process server must provide evidence that the documents were served. Typically, this is done through a Certificate of Service, or a Statement of Service, although in some cases a court may require a sworn Affidavit of Service, and for documents that originated abroad, the Affidavit may need to be sworn in front of a Notary Public. This is something your regular postie won’t be providing, and another reason you need to pay a professional process server to help you. A professional server knows the various types of statements and which one to use for each type of court document.
Process servers are also highly experienced in handling potential dangers, such as aggressive pets or confrontational individuals, ensuring that they can serve documents both properly and safely, and in a professional manner.
At EJM Investigations we are regularly called to help law firms from across the UK to serve legal papers on companies, individuals and even other law firms.
Our process servers are often called to serve papers away from our head office in Preston, Lancashire, and thanks to our network of experienced process servers across the UK, we assist clients in many major UK cities such as London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and many more. For help with serving documents locally, nationally, or internationally, reach out today. We can be contacted via email (info@ejminvestigations.co.uk) or telephone: 01772 334700.