If someone has filed a civil complaint against you or your business, you might be tempted to try avoiding the process server to delay the case from going to court. That would be a big mistake. Avoiding the process server can land you in big trouble and cost you a ton of time and money. Before you think about ducking the process server, consider these consequences first:
The case filed against you will still proceed
Avoiding the process server might delay things, but it’s not going to stop the case from eventually moving forward. After several attempts to serve you, the process server can request an alternative service by substitution or publication. Once the requirements of alternative service are met, you are considered served and the case will go to court as scheduled.
You’ll probably lose the case filed against you
If you evade the process server you may not realize you’ve been served by alternative means. This means you might not show up for court, and that’s a surefire way to lose the case, even if you’re not at fault.
It can cost you big time
Judges pay attention to defendants that cause delays by evading the process server and often order that they pay the fees for the service. Since process service can get pretty expensive when several attempts must be made, this bill by itself can be hefty. Add to that anything you’re ordered to pay if you lose the case, and you’ll wish you had just met with the process server the first time they reached out.
Is a process server looking for you?
If so, do yourself a favor and receive the process graciously. Remember, it’s not the server that’s taking you to court, and responding with aggression or threats is always inappropriate (and sometimes illegal). Always respond to contact requests from process servers so you have the information and time you need to defend yourself when the case goes to court. If you’ve been contacted by a process server affiliated with Accurate Serve®, you can contact our office at (904) 735-7810 to verify that they’re legitimate.
