Going through a divorce is a stressful and emotionally challenging time, and serving divorce papers is often one of the most difficult tasks. As a Pensacola, Florida based process service agency, we understand the complexity and sensitivity of serving divorce papers. In this blog post, we will explain why you need to hire a process server to serve divorce papers and the benefits that come with it.

Minimized Conflict

Perhaps the most important reason to use a process server to serve divorce papers in Florida is that they can minimize the potential for conflict between the two divorcing parties. Process servers are trained to serve documents in a respectful and professional manner, which can help to reduce the stress and emotional impact of the divorce process. Continue reading →

If you’ve hired a process server to deliver the process in a legal case you’ve filed, or to act as a chain of custody for some other sort of important documents, then you’ll want to know how the process server can prove that they served the documents correctly. In Florida, process servers are required to collect what’s known as proof of service after all jobs. This proof of service acts as evidence that the documents were delivered to the correct recipient on a certain date and time. 

Elements of Valid Proof of Service

There are several elements that must be included on the proof of service document for it to be considered valid: Continue reading →

Whenever we tell people that we’re process servers, the questions just start pouring in. Little is really known or understood about the process service industry by the average citizen, so we’re hoping to change that by going over the most common questions we get from customers about what we do.

What is Process?

According to Cornell Law School, the process is the paperwork, especially but not limited to the summons and complaint, that is related to a court case. The process is delivered to the defendant(s) named in the court case to provide notice of their requested appearance in court on a specified date and time. Continue reading →

Process servers are essential to keeping Florida’s court systems running smoothly. They make sure that everyone knows about their upcoming court dates, eviction proceedings, or even sensitive business information. They must use intelligence, tact, and creativity to find and serve process recipients from all walks of life. Even though they have a lot of freedom in what they’re allowed to do to find someone, there are some rules too.

Process Servers Can Contact People You Know

Friends, family members, even someone who just likes a bunch of your Facebook posts…process servers can contact them all when searching for you. It’s usually a pretty successful tactic too…most people reach out to the process server themselves once they get a call from Mom about it! Continue reading →

If you’re just starting out as a process server, you’ve probably wondered what you can do to be more successful. Process serving can be a competitive field, so you’ll want to do everything you can to stand out from the crowd. In this post, we’ll go over our top tips to achieve ultimate success as a process server in the Florida panhandle:

Get Certified

Any process server who wants to work in Pensacola must be certified by Florida’s First Judicial Circuit. The 1st judicial circuit covers Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties in Florida. To become certified in these counties, you must: Continue reading →

Transparency and accountability are big topics in today’s society, and body cameras are an excellent tool to put these concepts into practice. Law enforcement use body cameras nationwide to provide an undeniable record of their interactions with the public and each other. But would it be advantageous, or even legal, for others who provide auxiliary legal services in Florida to also use body cameras? Well, there are a few things to consider:

Video

It is generally legal to video in Florida as long as you’re not videoing in an area with an expectation of privacy, such as a bathroom or fitting room. This means when a process server is out in the community searching for their process recipient, they could record videos of the vast majority of their day. Continue reading →

It may sound crazy, but there are people out there who will impersonate a process server to scam you into paying them, then they never do the job and run off with your cash. If you’re an attorney, or even just an individual filing a pro se lawsuit, you need to know how to identify a fake process server, so you don’t get burned. Wasting time and money on an illegitimate process server will delay your case to a minimum. At worst, it could give the defendant grounds to request a dismissal.

In this post, we’ll go over our top tips for telling the difference between a legit process server and a con artist: Continue reading →

All the rules related to the serving process in Florida can be difficult to keep up with, especially since they can differ from county to county. Generally speaking, process should always be served to the person named in the documents, in person, or to another person residing in the same home who is over 15 years old. However, this isn’t always possible. That’s why the state of Florida has passed laws governing the process server industry here. Included in these laws is how to handle situations where the person named in the process documents cannot be served in person. In this post, we’ll discuss the situations where serving someone other than the named process recipient is acceptable.

Serving a Spouse

Serving the spouse of the person named in the process documents, as long as the court proceedings are not adversarial between the two parties and they both live in the same dwelling, is acceptable. This service does not have to occur at the shared home. Continue reading →

Skip tracing is a process that is used to locate a person or entity who has intentionally avoided being located by the individual or entity initiating the search.

Who Can Be Located with a Skip Trace?

Skip traces may help locate legal persons of interest, witnesses, debtors, or anybody else.  Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →