What Is Process Serving and Why Do I Need It?

You may have heard the term “process serving” or “process server” before, but perhaps you’re not sure why they are important or what a process server does. However, if you’re involved in any sort of legal action with another individual or party, odds are good that you may need to employ a process server as part of your court action.

Legal PaperworkSimply put, a process server is the person who delivers legal papers to a respondent to fulfill the requirement that an individual receives notice of pending court action. The phrase “serving papers” applies here – the server delivers legally mandated paperwork to the individual, letting them know that they have been summoned or subpoenaed as part of a legal case, are being served with a complaint or writ, need to respond to divorce proceedings or child support claims, or any of a wide range of other court actions that require notice and paperwork be delivered to an individual.

Sometimes, this process can be difficult – and even risky – for process servers. If the person who is being served is aware that they are being sought, they may try to dodge a process server, hiding in private or secured locations to avoid receipt of the paperwork. They could even become violent, with some horror stories from veteran servers including being chased in vehicles and even assaulted. The process server is – quite literally – the bearer of bad news, and some individuals take this extremely poorly.

But why does this process exist? Under the law, process serving is required for a number of situations to ensure that the individual has had direct contact and can be said to be fully aware of their obligation to appear or respond. Mailing, while an option in some cases, is not a legal alternative in many cases, and the law still falls to requiring using a licensed process server to fulfill the legal requirements in these cases.

RKJ Investigations has served clients in Oklahoma, as well as Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri, with professional, prompt and trusted process service and other investigation services since 2001. If you need a process service for your case, turn to us to take care of your needs under the law. We also offer bulk rates for those who have a large number of papers to be served each month. For more information or to find out more about enlisting RKJ Investigations for your case, contact us today.

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