Legal Tactics Process Servers Use To Serve Defendants
Unfortunately, when involved in a legal dispute, some defendants choose to make themselves scarce as a way to avoid being served. However, if you are having a difficult time finding the defendant to serve them, you can turn to a local process server service to make sure that the defendant is properly served.
Strategies Used by Process Servers
A process server is experienced in tracking down people who do not want to be found. They are able to use databases that the general public does not have access to and may be able to quickly find a lead. There are also various forms of public evidence and public records that can be used to find a defendant.
Once a process server is able to determine the routine that the individual is in, they might reach that individual and serve them their papers. For example, a process server might discover that an individual likes to go grocery shopping every Tuesday and might encounter the individual in the parking lot of the grocery store.
Legal and Effective
While there are many tricks that a process server can use, everything that they do is also fully within the bounds of the law. For this reason, it's better to turn to a process server than to try to serve an individual yourself. If you try to serve papers to party who does not want to be served, you might accidentally commit a crime, such as trespassing.
Substitute Servicing
If you have made a good faith attempt to serve papers to an individual, the process server might be able to serve the individual using an alternative method through a substitute service. Whichever method is used must be approved by the court.
One way to attempt to service an individual is to send the documents through the mail. However, to do this, the process server must be able to locate an address that can be used to mail the documents. These can include:
- The address of a family member
- The defendant's workplace
- A roommate
When the mail has arrived, the defendant might be considered to be served. It may also be necessary to publish the information in a newspaper, magazine, or some other publication. What matters is that the defendant knows that they are now a part of a lawsuit and have the right to defend themselves in court. Then, the case can proceed, regardless of the participation of the defendant.