Why the Sheriff Isn’t the Best Person to Serve Your Papers

When you file a civil case with the courts, they will notify you that you must have papers served to the other party or parties to the case. The clerks will push having the sheriff or sheriff’s department serve the papers. This is done to help generate revenue for the county. However, it is much better to have a private process server deliver your legal documents. Here’s why.

Timeliness

A private process server is going to get your papers served much faster than the sheriff. The sheriff’s department has many responsibilities to the safety and wellbeing of everyone in the county. They have limited time and resources for additional tasks, and process service usually falls low on the list of priorities. That means that a sheriff could take weeks to serve your papers.

Place of Service

A person can be served papers almost anywhere at any time. However, the sheriff’s department will only attempt service at the address listed on the papers or provided by the court. With that limitation they may not be able to serve your papers effectively.

Missing Persons

While the sheriff’s department has resources to find missing people, such as when trying to serve a warrant, those resources cost time and money. The sheriff’s department does not have any resources to spare. That means that if the intended target is not easily found, the sheriff will return the papers to the court as undeliverable. This could cause delays in your case.

If you are needing a process server, we’re here to help. Contact us today.