How A Private Process Server Can Help You
June 16, 2015
When serving a subpoena, order to show cause, or summons and complaint on someone, there are two ways to do it. You can hire a private process server or you can ask the local sheriff. If you want the job done quickly, a private process server is probably the best person for the job. Here’s why:
Serving Process with a Sheriff
The Sheriff’s Department will serve process as part of their overall duties. However, there are some drawbacks that you should be aware of. Sheriffs have a wide variety of responsibilities, and serving process within a few days of receiving papers is not their highest priority. When you use the Sheriff’s Department to serve process, it can take more than a month before the papers get served.
Another drawback is that a sheriff will usually attempt to serve process during normal business hours. In many cases, the person on whom the process is being served will be working during the day and unavailable to receive service. Also, it can be difficult to reach someone at the sheriff’s office who can provide a status update.
Serving Process With a Private Process Server
Private process servers are specialized professionals. Serving process is all they do. They have the time, experience, knowledge and skills to quickly locate the person to be served, and they usually get the job done within a few days. Because private process servers work around the clock, they can show up to perform service early in the morning, on weekends or during the evening hours when a defendant is most likely to be at home. Also, professional process servers might make multiple visits to a single home on the same day. Another benefit of hiring a private process server is they are always available to answer questions and give updates.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Sheriff or a Private Process Server?
According to a recent survey of lawyers and paralegals conducted by ServeNow, the average price of hiring a sheriff to serve process is about $40.00. The average price of hiring a private process server is about $54.00. If you hire a sheriff, the service will cost less, but it will almost always take longer. For $14.00 more, a private process server can get the job done in just a few days. In New York, for example, we can generally complete process service within three days.
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