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A process server delivers legal documents to individuals and business entities involved in court cases. A process server is hired by lawyers, collection agencies, banks and financial institutions, and by some state and federal agencies. State laws govern who may serve state court papers, so be aware of the regulations covering your delivery area.
In 1981 the U. S. Marshal's office was relieved of much of their process serving duties. Since then most federal civil processes have been served by private process servers (any person over the age of 18 and not a party to the lawsuit). Sheriffs and constables serve in state courts. Funding cutbacks in many counties, however, have left sheriffs with fewer personnel and more work. This has opened the door for private process servers (where permitted by law) to step in and compete with the sheriff for those services. Start-Up Costs And Financing Sources * $4,000 minimum (not including the price of a reliable vehicle) * Private savings, small business loan, credit cards. Pricing Guidelines $ 12-$35 and up per service (rate will vary from state to state). Marketing and Advertising Methods and Tips * Call lawyers, collection agencies, and others who use process servers. * Call other process servers who may have overflow work. Essential Equipment Computer with filing and bookkeeping software (Quicken is one of the best low-cost bookkeeping/check writing programs available; Mylnvoices is an excellent program for preparing invoices), business line with an answering service or voice mail saying you will get back to your caller within 15 minutes, car phone, pager, reliable vehicle. Recommended Training, Experience, Or Needed Skills * Call a process serving business and ask if they need your services. Try it for a time to see if it is something you can see yourself doing. * Be persistent at tracking people down. * Be professional and reliable.
A process server delivers legal documents to individuals and business entities involved in court cases. A process server is hired by lawyers, collection agencies, banks and financial institutions, and by some state and federal agencies. State laws govern who may serve state court papers, so be aware of the regulations covering your delivery area.
In 1981 the U. S. Marshal's office was relieved of much of their process serving duties. Since then most federal civil processes have been served by private process servers (any person over the age of 18 and not a party to the lawsuit). Sheriffs and constables serve in state courts. Funding cutbacks in many counties, however, have left sheriffs with fewer personnel and more work. This has opened the door for private process servers (where permitted by law) to step in and compete with the sheriff for those services. Start-Up Costs And Financing Sources * $4,000 minimum (not including the price of a reliable vehicle) * Private savings, small business loan, credit cards. Pricing Guidelines $ 12-$35 and up per service (rate will vary from state to state). Marketing and Advertising Methods and Tips * Call lawyers, collection agencies, and others who use process servers. * Call other process servers who may have overflow work. Essential Equipment Computer with filing and bookkeeping software (Quicken is one of the best low-cost bookkeeping/check writing programs available; Mylnvoices is an excellent program for preparing invoices), business line with an answering service or voice mail saying you will get back to your caller within 15 minutes, car phone, pager, reliable vehicle. Recommended Training, Experience, Or Needed Skills * Call a process serving business and ask if they need your services. Try it for a time to see if it is something you can see yourself doing. * Be persistent at tracking people down. * Be professional and reliable.
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