*Please note that Bosco Legal Services, Inc. only provides our process serving services to law firms and business entities. If you are a self-represented litigant, we, unfortunately, cannot help you at this time.
Home » Legal Services » Attorney Services » Process Serving » SERVICE OF PROCESS FAQ
At Bosco Legal Services, Inc., our California process servers have been serving papers for more than 30 years. We work with a variety of clients throughout the United States.
Our clients range from sole practitioners to large, nationwide law firms. No matter the size of the job, we can handle it. We have the resources to serve anywhere nationwide.
In the United States, all parties involved in a legal proceeding to be heard in court must be made aware of the lawsuit. A process server delivers, or serves these notices and legal documents to the appropriate parties.
In California, it is not difficult to find someone to serve your papers. You cannot serve your own papers. But, in some cases your friend or co-worker could serve your papers, as long as they are not part of the case and 18 years or older. We do not recommend this route.
There are many types of service in California and several ways to serve papers. If you need to serve someone out of state, there are other rules to follow. Each state has their own laws about who, when, where and how to serve.
Improper service can cause case delays. You can even risk your case being dismissed. Hiring a registered professional to serve your papers correctly is worth it.
We will attempt any serve designated as a rush service within 24 hours of the receipt of documents and payment. If we do not serve the subject on the first attempt, we will make a minimum of one follow up attempt daily. This could occur if the subject is not home or evading service.
We will attempt any serve designated as routine within 3-4 business days of the receipt of documents and payment (note that assignments submitted after 4:00pm PST may be considered received as of the next business day). If the subject is not served on that first attempt, we will make a minimum of one follow up attempt approximately every three days.
We have been in business for more than 30 years and have a success rate of more than 90% in getting documents served. However, there is NO GUARANTEE that your documents get served. Please note that we will charge you whether the documents get served or not.
We will always contact you if there is a problem serving your papers. Communication is very important to us.
Our initial service fee is good for no more than five attempts at one address.
If the subject is being evasive or has moved, we will contact you to discuss your options to get them served. If you choose not to pursue service past the initial attempts and address, we can provide you a declaration of non-service at your request.
Over the years we have seen people use different types of crazy methods to evade service. Whether it be hiding in the trunk of a car, jumping over bushes or trying to wear disguises, we have seen it all. Our Riverside process servers have years of experience that has taught us to think outside of the box to get the job done.
We determine the best way to deal with an evasive subject on a case by case basis. If our California process servers determine that the subject is being evasive, then we will contact you to discuss your options. Your options may include:
No, in California a person cannot refuse to accept service. If we can identify a person on whom legal service can be made either personally or by sub-service and they refuse to “accept” the documents, we can absolutely still serve them.
It is common for subjects to try to refuse served papers. Because of this, courts may recognize “drop service.” Also known as service by refusal, drop service is the act of placing the papers near the subject. The key to drop service is that we act professionally, follow all applicable statutes and immediately document what happened.
Many types of court documents need a proof of service filed with the court once completed. Once we complete the serve, we will prepare the proof of service and send it back to you.
It is your responsibility to make sure the proof gets filed with the court. For an extra fee, we will file it for you. However, we will only file for you if specifically instructed to do so.
If you have additional questions about getting your documents served or need a job completed, contact our Riverside process servers at (877) 353-8281. We work with clients throughout California and nationwide to get the job done.
You can also submit a job form through our website or fill out our online form. Then, someone from our office will get in contact with you soon.
