Process service may not seem like the most important part of a legal case but, if a mistake is made during profess service, it can totally derail a case. The last thing you need is a mistrial or dismissal of your case. Not all process servers are created equal which is why it is so important to hire a well-trained, highly-experienced process server. Below, we look at some of the most common process server mistakes to highlight the importance of retaining a reputable and knowledgeable process server.
Common Process Server Mistakes
- Serving the Wrong Person
- While this may seem like an obvious mistake to be avoided by a process server, it is an easier mistake to be made than you might realize, especially for an inexperienced process server. Whether a process server makes a mistake because of a common name and serves the wrong person or for any other reason – if a process server makes this mistake it could seriously jeopardize your case. An experienced process server will use multiple methods to verify someone’s identity before serving to ensure this doesn’t happen.
- Informing the Opposing Party in Advance
- Process service can be detrimentally impacted if a claimant or process server accidentally or intentionally informs the opposing party that they are going to be served. Many people will do anything to avoid being served if they know they are going to be so to protect the integrity of the case and keep things moving, it is imperative that the defendant not be notified before process service has been completed.