Depending on where you live, your lawsuit may not officially begin until you can show proof of service. And as your case proceeds, you’ll likely need to show proof of service for other legal documents as well.
Now you may not be quite sure exactly what proof of service entails. But one thing is certain: messing up a proof of service will prevent you from proceeding with your lawsuit in a timely fashion; it may even come back to haunt you later.
Let’s try to keep things simple with this general overview of how to show proof of service:
Need More Help?
If there are problems with your proof of service, you may have to petition the court to correct your mistake. Depending on the circumstances, courts will generally allow you to amend your proof of service to fix clerical or other errors.
Messing up a proof of service can hobble your lawsuit before it even begins. If you need assistance with service, proof of service, or any other aspect of your lawsuit, an experienced litigation attorney can help ensure that you’re doing things the correct way.
Are you facing a legal issue you’d like to handle on your own? Suggest a topic for our Legal How-To series by sending us a tweet @FindLawConsumer with the hashtag #HowTo.
Related Resources:
- Lawsuits: A Practical Guide (FindLaw)
- Proof of Service Can Often Prove Tricky (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- Don’t Bother Avoiding Process Servers (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- Your Defendant’s Mother Probably Isn’t an Agent for Service (FindLaw’s California Case Law Blog)
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