If you're going through a legal matter and you need to have documents served to an opposing party, don't try to handle the process on your own. Hire a professional process server instead. There are a number of problems that can pop up when you try to serve documents on your own. First, the service might not be official, especially if you attempt to deliver the documents personally. Second, you could end up in a dangerous situation, especially if the opposing party is hostile. To avoid problems, it's best to hire a process service. If you've never worked with a process server before, you might not be familiar with the service. If that's the case, you'll need to get some information first. Here are three things you need to know when hiring a process server.
Total Cost for Service
If you need to hire a process server, the total cost of service is the first item of information that you need to pin down. In most cases, your process server will have a set price for basic service, which will include the actual in-person service of the documents. However, there may be extra costs for additional services that they need to provide. To make sure there isn't any confusion over the cost of service, ask for a list of potential fees while you're going over the service agreement.
Service Timeline
If you need to have documents served to an opposing party in a legal matter, time may be of the essence. If that's the case, you need to know how long the process service will take. The process server will be able to provide you with a timeline for service. However, there are some situations that might require additional time for service, such as if the party you need to have served tries to avoid detection. If you're on a tight schedule, be sure to let your process server know that. They may be able to put a rush on the service.
Location Methods
If you need to serve documents to someone but you don't know their current address, you need to hire a process server. One of the benefits of hiring a process server is that they have tools available to help them locate people that are difficult to find. This is especially beneficial if you're dealing with a party that's been skipping town to avoid service. When hiring a process server, be sure to discuss the methods they'll use for locating the party.
