What To Consider When You Are Hiring A Process Server
If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit or taking legal action against someone, you may need to hire a process server to have them served with the legal papers. If you have never hired a process server before, you may have no clue about what factors you should be looking for as you go about hiring one. Here are a few of the things to consider when you are looking to hire a process server.
If They Are Certified
One of the first factors that you want to consider when you are looking to hire a process server is whether the person or company you are looking to hire is certified. There are many companies out there who certify process servers. A certified process server has had to pass tests to show that they are familiar with the laws for serving a person properly. If an individual is not properly served, they may have to be reserved before the case can proceed. One of the largest companies that certifies process servers is National Association of Professional Process Servers, but there are many smaller ones that do as well.
How They Charge
Another important element to consider when you are looking to hire a process server is how they charge you. Some companies charge you a flat fee to serve an individual. When you pick a company with a flat fee, they may attempt service only a limited number of times for the fee. Other companies charge by the hour. If someone is evading service, a process server can put in several hours staking out the person's home or work, trying to serve them. If you think service will be easy, a flat-fee may be the way to go. But if you've had problems having them served, or suspect there will be some, paying by the hour may make more sense.
What Their Completion Percentage Is
The last factor to consider when you are hiring a process server is what their completion percentage is. This means, what percentage of people that they attempted to serve did they actually serve. Some people hide or evade service, so it's rare someone's percentage will be 100, but you want to find someone who has a higher completion percentage to increase the likelihood they can get the job done.
While all process servers are hired to do the same job, not all of them charge in the same way or even are able to complete the task. Taking the time to learn about a process server you are considering hiring can help ensure that you are hiring the best process server for your job.