Welcome to the Lafayette Process Servers LLC podcast.

Is Being a Process Server Hard?

A process server is a person who serves legal documents to respondents or defendants of legal actions. Every process server is trained for the role and should be an unbiased party to the legal issue in question.

 

As a process server, one should document the procedure they employed when serving the papers as this may be necessary for court proceedings.

 

The role of a process server sounds simple enough. However, handing out legal documents to a respondent or defendant is not always that easy.

 

What Makes Process Serving Hard?

A process server is not the same as a messenger. They don’t merely deliver documents; they uphold an individual’s right to due process. Unfortunately, not all parties are found easily and others don’t want to be found at all.

 

Here are some of the challenges that make the job of a process server difficult:

Respondents/Defendants May Be Hard to Track Down

Most applicants of legal action can provide the necessary information to where a process server can serve the documents, like home or office addresses. However, in cases where such information is not known, the process server will turn to skip tracing. Skip tracing is the process of locating a person whose location is unknown.

 

The process server will have to research the respondent’s or defendant’s home address, name and address of their employer, phone number, email address, social security number, and information about their family, relatives, and friends. Skip tracing can generally be done through tools available online.

 

Having these details does not however make the task of serving easier. Sometimes it involves a lot of waiting and even stakeouts. Some respondents or defendants don’t want to be found because if they have not been served, then there are no legal issues to think about.

It Can Be Dangerous

Getting served is not a happy occasion and some people will resort to outbursts and anger. In some cases, these outbursts may turn violent, which could leave the process server vulnerable. A process server has to do more than just deliver documents, they have to learn how to appease the recipients too. It’s vital that they can explain they are only there to deliver the documents and are not a party to the case.

The Pay Is Irregular

A process server is paid for every successful serve. It may sound good but serving is not easy and it’s not always certain. In some cases, it will take days or even weeks before the process server can find their respondent or defendant. There are also times when the process server fails to locate the target.

 

Is It Worth It?

Challenges aside, there are also some perks to working as a process server. For one, they have flexible schedules as they only work when they have papers to serve. Every day is also a unique experience—almost like an adventure.

 

Unfortunately, it can also be a dangerous job. More often, recipients understand the process, so the process server must explain it properly. However, some may flare up and others may even resort to violence. It’s not a job for everybody.

 

 

 

 

Resources:

 

National Association of Professional Servers. What are the pros and cons of becoming a process server? 2022

https://napps.org/News/What-are-the-Pros-and-Cons-of-Becoming-a-Process-Server.aspx

 

CHRON. How much money can private process servers earn? March 15, 2019.

https://work.chron.com/much-money-can-private-process-servers-earn-20599.html

 

The foregoing podcast has simply been presented for informational purposes only. He or those at Lafayette Process Servers LLC, are not attorneys.  Process serving laws and rules of civil procedure are different from state to state. If you seek further information about this topic, please make sure to contact an attorney in your local area

 

 

References:

Browne, Clayton, Job Functions of a Process Server, work.chron.com, https://work.chron.com/much-money-can-private-process-servers-earn-20599.html

Serving all metropolitan Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans areas

You can visit us at

https://lafayette-process-servers.com

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https://metairie-process-servers.com

Toll Free 866-237-2853