Things to Avoid When Serving Divorce Papers
Divorces are stressful events that can cause even the most level-headed individual to lose their patience. You may never know what exactly has encouraged someone to file for divorce, and the recipient may not even be aware that they are about to be served divorce papers. The entire experience can be extremely traumatizing, especially if it is sudden, so people are oftentimes dismayed when being served with divorce papers. That’s why it’s extremely important for all process servers to handle divorce cases with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity.
Since divorce cases automatically bring a higher level of emotions to the table, process servers must try to deescalate negative feelings upon serving in order to successfully and safely do their jobs. Best practices dictate that process servers should avoid the following behaviors to stay safe while effectively serving divorce case documents:
Dishonesty
Process servers should always be honest. It is especially important to be forthcoming about who you are, and why you are there when serving divorce papers. Anything less than complete transparency could quickly be misinterpreted by the process recipient who is already reeling with conflicting feelings. Any misinterpretation could quickly spiral into verbal and physical violence as people often try to metaphorically “shoot the messenger.”
Avoid Serving in Front of Others, Especially Children
Divorces are stressful for various reasons. First and foremost, it may be the fear of embarrassment that others find out that their relationship did not work out. Secondly, explaining the situation to any children involved just amplifies the stress of the situation. When serving divorce papers, process servers should never attempt to serve in front of children or in close proximity to other adults. It is best to handle the service as quickly and privately as possible to avoid adding any extra shame or confusion to the situation.
Serving Alone
Attempting to serve divorce papers alone can have truly disastrous results. This is why it is so important for a process server to bring a partner when serving processes of this type, or at least maintain constant contact with their agency. This way, someone is always aware of their exact whereabouts. There are several phone apps that allow geolocations to be shared with others, and this will add an additional layer of security when attempting these potentially dangerous tasks.
Serving a Known Party
According to the law, it’s illegal to serve a process to another party that you know. Process server laws in the State of Florida clearly stipulate that a process server is not allowed to personally know any of the involved parties in the case for which they are serving processes as this would be considered a conflict of interest. Furthermore, situations tend to escalate rather quickly when people know each other, so it is in everyone’s best interest for process servers to only serve cases when the recipient is a total stranger.
Accurate Serve® Prioritizes Safety on All Service Attempts
Regardless of the type of process being served, Accurate Serve® actively advocates for superior safety practices, and we make sure all members of our team maintain compliance with state and local laws. Our team understands the importance of legally serving processes, and we always have access to all necessary resources to keep everyone safe while effectively carrying out the required duties. If your southern Florida legal firm handles divorce cases, and you need quality process servers, you need not look any further. Call us today at (954) 770-9997 or send us a work requests online.