Frequently Asked Questions

Service of process is the formal delivery of legal documents — a summons, complaint, subpoena, or other court instrument — to a party, in the manner the law prescribes. Proper service establishes the court's authority to bind that party; defective service can void the proceeding.

Under N.C. Rule 4, a summons is generally served by the sheriff of the county where service is to be made, but the rules and statutes permit service by other authorized persons and methods depending on the instrument and circumstances. Subpoenas and many other instruments may be served by any person who is not a party and is at least 21 years of age. Judicial Process executes service through professionals qualified for the instrument and jurisdiction at hand.

Yes. Prepayment is required on all assignments. A payment form is available on our Request Service page, and your assignment is docketed upon receipt of documents and payment.

Entities are ordinarily served through their registered agent of record. For North Carolina entities, agent information is available from the Secretary of State, Corporations Division. If the agent cannot be found, alternative statutory methods may apply — contact us and we will advise.

It is a multilateral treaty that establishes formal channels for serving judicial documents on parties located in other contracting states, ordinarily through each country's designated central authority. Requirements vary by country and commonly include translations and prescribed request forms.

An apostille is a certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates a public document for use in another contracting state, replacing consular legalization. Documents transmitted abroad for service by letters rogatory, and many corporate and personal documents used overseas, require one. We provide apostille services for qualifying documents.

It depends on the channel and the country. Service through a Hague central authority commonly takes several months; letters rogatory take longer. Where local law and the forum permit service by foreign agent, timelines can be much shorter. We will give you a realistic estimate for your destination country before you commit.

Yes. Skip trace investigation, witness location, and related investigative services are available through our affiliated multi-state licensed investigative firm within The Poindexter Group.

Upon execution, we return a completed affidavit or proof of service ready for filing. If your court requires a specific affidavit format, include it with your service request and we will execute on that form.