What to Do If You Were Not Served Properly | 9 Things to Do

A vital component of every legal procedure is proper serving. If you are considering legal action, you must be informed of any judicial actions or legal papers connected to your case. Tragically, there are occasions when people don’t get the service they deserve, whether on purpose or accidentally. Acting if you believe you need to be served fairly is crucial. This article will discuss what to do if you must be served properly.

Furthermore, the US Constitution forbids an infringement of anyone’s rights, possessions, or freedom without proper trial. This implies that everyone can get notice of their court summons via a standard and oversight process.

Through this, the Constitution and the American legal system maintain the balance between individual liberties and governmental authority. Thus, it is necessary to serve the documents on each defendant in a case properly.

Typically, the process server must deliver the documents in person to the defendant. In all, with these steps, you will find help on how to prove you were not served properly and things to do;

• Understand what constitutes improper service.
• Keep track of all communication related to the service.
• Research the laws and regulations related to service in your jurisdiction
• Document the attempt(s) at service.
• Collect evidence to support your claim of improper service.
• Prepare and file a motion to quash service
• Attend the court hearing to present your case.
• Provide witness testimony, if necessary
• Follow up with the court to ensure proper service in the future.

Come along as we highlight these steps in detail below:

What to Do If You Were Not Served Properly

Step 1: Understanding what constitutes improper service

Understanding what constitutes improper service is the first step to proving you were not served properly. Serving through the wrong process is a crucial component of inappropriate service.

To appropriately react or defend themselves, defendants must be aware of any lawsuit or judicial proceeding concerning them. As a result, serving through the wrong process may have serious legal repercussions, such as the barring of a lawsuit because the incorrect party was informed.

Delivering important legal papers outside the permissible periods is another instance of bad service. The legal case and the administration of justice may be put at risk if crucial legal papers fail to arrive within the right time limit.

Legal papers may also be served improperly if they are sent by mail or delivery services that don’t adhere to the rules set out by the law. An official postal service or courier must send legal papers. And it may be judged inappropriate to consider serving papers that do not adhere to these requirements. Thus, this failure might nullify the court’s authority to hear the case and make it illegitimate, which would have major repercussions.

Step 2: Keeping track of all communication related to the service

Proper legal representation is essential to guarantee that judicial systems across the globe operate without hiccups. However, it is not impossible that the legal documents were not properly served, which might result in several issues.

Keeping track of conversations and other pertinent information is necessary for dealing with and fixing such situations. It is essential for establishing responsibility, finding problems with poor service, and fixing them.

Step 3: Research the laws and regulations related to service in your jurisdiction

The next step to prove you were not served properly entails researching the laws and regulations related to service in your jurisdiction. This will likely include looking through federal and state laws and regulations.

It may be necessary to do extensive research using various sources, such as academic publications, legal databases, and local, state, and federal government websites.

After you find it, conducting a comprehensive analysis of the applicable law is necessary. This usually entails reading the statute’s language and related rules, instructions, or interpretations. By doing this, you will learn more about the specifics of the law and how they may apply to you.

Step 4: Documenting the attempt(s) at service

Maintaining a thorough record of each step taken to provide the service, from the early stages to the result, constitutes documenting the attempt(s) at service.

An approach that records all pertinent data is crucial for documenting service attempts. The information of the person delivering the service and the date and time must all be recorded by this system. It must also include any activities that are taking place at this moment.

Step 5: Collecting evidence to support your claim of improper service

You must collect proof if you believe that the service was inappropriate. This evidence may include witness testimony, correspondence about the legal situation, or images documenting the place and time when service was attempted.

Acquiring as much proof as possible to back up your assertion is crucial. Additionally, you may collect proof by keeping track of any efforts at service you’ve received, getting witness accounts, and getting legal counsel. To prove your case and guarantee justice, providing as much supporting documentation as possible is critical.

Step 6: Preparing and filing a motion to quash service

A motion to revoke wrongful serving of process must be properly put together and put in. This may shield a defendant from unjust and erroneous legal document delivery.

This motion also allows one to refute any formal mistakes while serving legal documents to the person in question. This move requires extensive planning and care to detail, particularly examining the service regulations, assessing any shortcomings in the plaintiff’s service, and creating an effective legal defense.

Step 7: Attending the court hearing to present your case

Going to a court hearing is a difficult process that may be intimidating and emotionally taxing. This is particularly important when arguing that you need to get proper service. Regardless, participation in the hearing is crucial since it allows you to argue your case before a panel of judges.

You must also be ready to go professional and objective while arguing your case for improper service in court. Organize your evidence properly, ensure you are familiar with the relevant legal procedures, and provide a professional appearance by presenting yourself and behaving in the courtroom.

Additionally, bear in mind to maintain objectivity and professionalism throughout. And most importantly, obey the judge’s directions. You have a higher chance of making a compelling argument to the judge if you follow these suggestions.

Step 8: Providing witness testimony, if necessary

A key component of judicial procedures is witnessing evidence, particularly in situations involving incorrect service of process. Witnesses provide crucial details and proof to back up claims of improper service. This aids the court in reaching a knowledgeable conclusion.

They may also provide a comprehensive narrative of what happened, proof to back up claims and construct a timeline. This is in addition to testifying to the reliability of the persons responsible. To guarantee that the judicial system operates properly, witnesses must testify in situations involving incorrect service.

Step 9: Following up with the court to ensure proper service in the future

You must follow up with the court to guarantee appropriate service. Thus, you must do this carefully and skillfully. It entails meticulously preparing and reviewing the service documents, keeping an eye on and confirming the process of serving papers.

This is in addition to informing the court and other respondents of any problems or modifications. Lawyers may only guarantee that the parties obtain an appropriate notice, proper procedure, and equitable access to justice.

This must further be done by adhering to these procedures. Serious repercussions that impact the whole lawsuit could result from failing to check in with the court to verify effective service.

My Opinion

If you were actually “served” with a lawsuit, it normally indicates that a process server visited your residence or place of business. They must also deliver a copy of the lawsuit to you in person. You are notified that a warrant and petition are suing you.

It also explains the specifics of the accusations made against you and states that a response must be put in within 30 days of the day service was made. The process server may leave the papers at the entrance or in the delivery container.

If this is the case, you were not properly served and have legal recourse. At this point, the above tips on proving you were not served properly will aid you immensely.

References

• Ministry of Justice; Civil Procedure Rules: https://web.archive.org/web/20050914185629/http:/www.dca.gov.uk/civil/procrules_fin/contents/parts/part06.htm
• Summons; Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: https://www.federalrulesofcivilprocedure.org/frcp/title-ii/rule-4-summons/
• Educational Materials for Process Servers: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dca/downloads/pdf/about/ps_educational_materials.pdf