Costs of Hiring a Process Server
When you take legal action against another party, you generally need a process server to officially notify the other party. In most states service of process must be served by someone who is not a party to the case. The process server provides the person with a set of documents that describe the legal action. These documents can include summonses, complaints, subpoenas, writs and other court documents.
Cost of a Process Server
In the United States, the cost for the service of a document is usually set by state law. Each of the 50 states have their own set of laws governing who may serve the documents, how they must be served and the recoverable cost set for service. You can find these rules in the civil code of each state. However, most contracts range from $20-$100. You may agree to extra costs or services with the server, but some costs may not be recoverable in court.
What Those Costs Cover
The cost of hiring a process server can be affected by many factors other than location. Not only will each state vary in the prices allowed for service of documents, but the type of case, difficulty level of the case, the type of process server you hire, how quickly you want the service done, where the service will take place - Generally, the more difficult it is for the professional to serve the papers, the more it will cost. These are important questions to ask a process server before hiring.
Sometimes the person being served legal papers avoids the process server. Process servers often call these "difficult" services. Due to the additional effort, investigative techniques and time required to serve the person, the process server charges more. These additional rates are negotiated between the process server and client, and usually reflect private investigation rates for the region.
The server may also charge extra If the person you are serving needs to be located, the process server will charge an extra hourly or flat fee for "skip trace" services and asset searches.
Hire a NAPPS Certified Process Server
To find a professional process server who has an established business go to www.napps.org and search by state, county or zip code where you would like the paper served. Our directory lists all members in your search area with contact information and pricing information based on the member’s preferences. All of our members have been vetted and must follow the highest ethical standards, so you can be confident that you’re hiring the best.
If you are interested in hiring a process server, use the largest database of vetted professionals in the industry through NAPPS.
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