Serving Legal Documents:

• Process servers are responsible for delivering legal documents to individuals who are part of a court case. This includes witnesses, defendants, and other relevant parties.

• Their primary task is to formally inform these individuals about court actions by presenting them with the necessary legal papers.

• The documents served can range from subpoenas (requesting evidence) to restraining orders or divorce papers.

Upholding Due Process:

• Process servers help uphold an individual’s right to due process by ensuring proper notification.

• Their authority is limited to civil disputes and does not extend to property seizures or issuing arrest warrants.

• Originally, local police were responsible for serving legal papers, but as cities expanded, process servers took on this role more effectively.

Notifying Defendants:

• When a process server delivers legal documents, it sets the legal timeline in motion.

• The defendant has a specific deadline to respond once they receive the papers.

• By preventing default judgments, process servers ensure that defendants have an opportunity to participate in the legal process12.

Additional Tasks:

• Process servers may also:

  • Conduct court research.

  • Serve subpoenas and summonses.

  • Conduct background checks.

  • Retrieve other relevant legal documents