Process Server Requirements

Process Server Requirements

This post presents detailed information on how to become a process server and grow your career.

It highlights the educational, job, and certification requirements you will be expected to fulfill to start and take your process server career to a higher level.

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Process Server Requirements for Career Success

If you are seeking to start and build a career as a process server, here are major requirements you will be expected to meet:

1. Process Server Educational Requirements

There are no formal educational requirements for becoming a process server, most workers enter this field with a High School diploma or GED.

There are many opportunities for on-the-job training.

Most aspiring process servers attend training programs, which can be found through state associations, sheriff’s offices, or at college campuses.

Process servers have good knowledge of court procedures and are expected to study the rules specifying the way they should carry out their work.

2. Process Server Job Requirements

Every state has different requirements for process servers. Be sure to check with your local court system to find out about the requirements in your area.

In general, there are various basic requirements needed by the court jurisdictions to employ a Process server.

Listed below are the requirements and skills required to work as a process server:

• High school diploma is sufficient to become a process server, as the role is almost similar to that of a legal assistant
• Legal knowledge: Process servers should be familiar with legal and court procedures and know the idea behind serving summons
• Attention to detail: This role requires excellent attention to details. As the process server makes sure that certain documents are being delivered to the right destination
• Communication skills: Process servers should be strong in written words and verbal communications, because they work with legal professionals and individuals who are involved in court cases
• Research skills: Process servers are required to have research skills to be able to locate the individual the document will be delivered to
• Record-keeping skills: Process servers keep and maintain accurate records of document deliveries
• Work experience in a law firm.

3. Process Server Certification Requirements

Process server licensure, certification, or registration requirements are as wide as the document delivery procedures.

You will likely need to be registered as a process server with your state or county courts so as to start receiving work assignments, and be certified as a process server.

• Certified Process Servers: Certified Process Servers are permitted to serve initial non-enforceable civil process within the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
• Requirements: To be a certified process server, you should be at least 18 years of age and have no mental or legal disabilities.

Also, obtain and file with the application a certificate of good conduct, which shows that there is no record of criminal case against the applicant, and that there is no record of any felony conviction.

Process Server Responsibilities

Process servers hand deliver legal papers, including summonses and subpoenas, for local and state governments or individuals involved in court cases.

They also contact witnesses and conduct jail visits in order to gather information for court cases.

This career requires physical contact with individuals who might not be happy with the documents they are delivering, thus it is not uncommon for process servers to be escorted by a security agent.

This role requires thorough familiarity with legal practices, proceedings and court cases, as well as researching defendants and other involved parties to find their current address in order to deliver the documents.

Process servers are usually employed by law offices or courts and work closely with legal professionals; their duties involve locating individuals to serve them with legal documents.

Process servers’ responsibilities also entail maintaining records to ensure that legal proceedings can take place.

The following gives you an overview of duties process servers usually perform, which you need to know before entering the career:

• They deliver legal documents; the central duty of a process server is delivering of various legal documents by hand to individuals involved with court cases.
• They locate individuals to be served; this is another major part of a process server’s job, they locate individuals involved in court cases using public records databases to know their various addresses and workplaces or current whereabouts and contact information.
• They collaborate with legal professionals to establish timelines for deliveries and determine each individual connected to a particular court case.
• They record time and place of delivery.
• Receive papers to be served from attorney, magistrate, or court clerk.
• Serve court orders and processes such as summonses and subpoenas.
• Know a defendant’s schedule; process servers work hours to determine when people are most likely to be home or at work so as to deliver the specified documents.
• May deliver documents and general messages between attorneys and courts.
• They serve the process in accordance with the state laws and rules.
• They receive assignments from employers and review the assignment.
• They may troop in and out of court to retrieve documents from the court for their employer, and submit whatever documents necessary to the court.
• They also mail or send remainders to parties about their court hearing.

See detail process server job description.

Conclusion

If you are interested in becoming a process server and building a successful career, you should be prepared to meet certain requirements.

This post shows you the major educational, job, and certification requirements you may be expected to meet to start and build a great process server career.