How to Effectively Serve Process

To be an efficient process server, you must be organized, attentive to details, and avoid procrastination. Prioritizing efficiency while serving allows you to complete as many services as possible in one day/shift while still maintaining a high level of professionalism. This will keep your clients happy and turn them into repeat customers.

Follow these tips to serve process as efficiently as possible:

Follow the Rules

It’s not enough to just know the laws and rules around process service in Florida…you must follow those laws and rules as well. Florida has very strict rules about who can serve process and how the process may be served, and it’s your responsibility as a process server to know all of those rules. Your local area, such as the county or judicial circuit where you intend to serve, may also have their own rules for process servers, so be sure to check there as well.

All private process servers in Pensacola must be certified by Florida’s 1st Judicial Circuit, which covers Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. It is important to note that being certified in the 1st Judicial Circuit only allows the process server to work in those four Florida counties. The serving process in other counties or judicial circuits requires approval from those authorities. If you are not properly certified for the area where you are working, any service you provide is invalid.

There are many other rules process servers in Florida must follow, including:

• No service on Sunday
• No placing process in mailboxes
• Alternative service is only allowed when first approved by a judge
• No being dishonest about the server’s identity

Again, it is the server’s responsibility to know all of the laws and rules that apply to process servers in the area where you intend to work. Knowing and following these rules will allow you to avoid problems with improper service claims in the future.

Schedule and Route Ahead of Time

When you’re handling multiple cases at one time, efficient scheduling and route planning are essential. This will save you gas, time, and vehicle maintenance while also allowing you to fit in as many cases as possible in one shift. We recommend using route planning software to optimize your daily stops if you have more than just a few.

Just as important as maximizing the number of cases you complete in one day is knowing when to cut back. If you over-schedule, you’ll feel rushed and not able to give each case the proper attention. Stay realistic about how many jobs you can successfully complete to keep your stress level down and your clients happy.

Communicate Well

Handing off the paperwork is just part of the job…you also need to communicate the outcome of the service with the relevant court and your client. Filing proof of service with the court is highly recommended and can be very helpful in expediting your client’s case later on in the court process. Notifying your client of the outcome of your case, whether successful or delayed, is all part of good customer service. Accurate Serve® makes this part easy by providing all clients with a 24/7 online status tracker tool, available right on our website home page. 

Join Our Team!

If you’re a hard-working, diligent process server in the Pensacola area who wants a network of other professional servers, consider joining our team at Accurate Serve® in Pensacola, Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Milton, and Mobile, AL. We provide all of our servers with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to do their jobs as efficiently as possible. Contact us today to learn more.