The Ridiculously Thorough Guide to Being Served
Most of us have seen someone either in person or via our TV screen being served, but for most of us, it’s just something we heard or seen before but know virtually nothing about. If you are a fan of How to Get Away with Murder or Station 19 like me, then you’ve seen people getting served, but in real life, it is not as dramatic as they make it seem in the shows. However, you should know your rights and the judicial system; if not, you will be just a sheep to the system. So, if you want to learn more about being served, read along and come along with us on this ludic journey.
What is being served?
If you are being served with process, it means that the due statutory requirement and procedure for giving notice to the defendant (which would be you in this case) about the legal action that has been met. It is essential to know that each type of action and state is different even though this might be inconsequential, but it is very common to require personal service to be attempted first. But what is personal service, you might ask? Well, as its name suggest, it means that you personally have to hand the papers to the defendant yourself. If it is personal service, then the person who is serving the paper should be of legal age and much meet some other requirements, and this all depends on the state you live in. If you can’t complete the personal service, then there are different ways to serve the papers. Some states require you to personally serve the defendants for some cases like divorce.
Can you avoid being served?
I mean, you can because you have free will and all, but we personally don’t recommend it. Most of us know the gags of being served, from being given the papers in a pizza box and the handler telling you, “You’ve been served!” Some of us have a troubled relationship with the law, and it is never nice on being on the beating end of the stick when it comes to getting divorce papers and being on the brink of foreclosure. Some people avoid answering the door when they know they are being served or even hide in the closet until the person serving them is gone. However nice this might seem, they only protect you from being personally served but won’t prevent legal action from going forwards. It isn’t illegal to avoid being served, but it is never advantageous for the defendant. Some courts may order and make a decision without your knowledge, and this can entail further litigation.
What to do next?
Relax and take your time to read your contract; there is no rush with this process, now don’t procrastinate with this because it might cause further issues. Nothing good comes out of making hasty and panic action. This is why we advise people who get served to do nothing about it for the first 24 hours. After that, you need to decide what you want to do on the matter; either you can fight or seek an immediate settlement; this all depends on how you want to handle the matter. I can’t stress this enough, but please do file for a motion for an extension of time because this will be helpful in the long run and how you decide to deal with the case.
For all your process services and court filing, contact Centurion Process Servers now. With nearly 4 decades in the industry, they are the leading experts in process services, and they are also one of the oldest process serving companies in North America. So, what are you waiting for? Call them now and get in touch with one of their renowned experts who will help and guide you!
