Process servers play a great role in keeping legal cases moving forward. Unless you met a bad process server before, you may not know how valuable this job is because most good servers don’t get enough recognition. It’s very easy to find a process server but finding an excellent one can be slightly challenging. In this article, we will explore how you can hire a reliable process server in London.
Understand the Responsibilities of a Process Server
Before hiring for any work, you must first understand what that role does, what kind of role do process servers play in the legal field and what responsibility will they have in your firm. Aside from serving court papers to name parties in legal cases, a process server in London is responsible for locating individual that need to be served with legal papers, documenting the serve properly according to state laws, following all tiles and regular for the process servers, dealing with the possibility of confrontation from uncooperative parties, maintaining impartiality, testifying in court when called, and managing paperworks.
Check Licensing and Insurance
London has special requirements for their process services including the person has to be 18 years to be registered as a server. It’s essential to ensure that each person you decide to work with has the necessary credentials in London otherwise the case will be jeopardized due to this small oversight.
Gain more insight into how to become a process server.
Choose Experienced Servers
Experience matters when dealing with legal papers and navigating tricky situations when they arise. To find out about the server’s experience, ask as many questions as you find important including how long they have been in the business, what’s their track record, the number of times they have served servers and their success rate.
Find Out When and Where the Server Operates
Servers can choose a specific area they want to work with. Some servers work in different states where others work in multi-county areas. Make sure you choose the server that works in the area where you need to serve papers. You may also need to find their working schedules.
Confirm Pricing & Fees Upfront
As with any other job, it’s essential to ask about the prices and fees upfront. Get a quote from at least two to three servers and ask whether there will be additional costs later. Usually, servers may change for things like rush fees, mileage, notary services, multiple attempts to serve, and skip tracing.
Ask About Their Procedures for Attempted Service
A reliable server will try multiple attempts to serve documents before they give up. Experienced and Knowledgeable servers will have tried and true methods for tracking some people who are hard to find. Hard to track defendants can make the job a little challenging, but reliable ones can use strategies like using online databases and public records to track the defendants digital footprint also known as skip tracing.
Checking surveillance also called addresses to encounter the person coming or going, interviewing their neighbours, coworkers and other people that may know their whereabouts, tracking vehicles, contacting relatives and associates, searching public records, monitoring social media handles, and searching utility records that can display the defendant’s address.
Consider Specialized Experience Requirements
Some attorneys prefer to find servers with specialized experience as it’s beneficial to them. For instance, serving papers to people in prison can be faster when the process server has experience and can have access to prisons and jails. Alternatively, they know when service by mail is allowed and how to follow all the rules and regulations to ensure prompt and legally sound delivery.
Other areas you may need your server to have experience in in life, serving papers in high risky situations like high crime areas or situations considered dangerous, locating subjects that are difficult to find, serving corporations, business and other notable entities, serving in remote and rural areas.
Review Their Documentation
Dealing with legal cases requires details and precision. To ensure you have selected the right server, you want to be sure they understand the importance of paying attention to details, to know that the best way is to review their documents. Do they have a video recording of their service of process, keep essential records to prove they have identified the right person, fill detailed and accurate service affidavits for every assignment?
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Conclusion
Working with a reliable and reputable process server is highly important, before hiring one, you must ensure that they have all the necessary documentation that showcases their expertise, ensure that they work within London, ask about their process for attempted serving, and have specialized experience in dealing with risky and difficult situations.