If a copy of the legal papers cannot be delivered to the named defendant, a summons may be served by leaving a copy of the complaint with a competent person in the household, or place of work or business even if they are not a party to the action. The Circuit Clerk in the county where you file will be able to tell you which newspaper to contact for service by publication. Ive filled out the paperwork to start the child support process. If legal service is not carried out under this code, delivery of service can be dismissed as invalid, and the person will not be considered legally served. Your best bet as the respondent is to participate in the case and try to get a fair child support payment. After you successfully dodge service and service by publication is allowed in your situation, then you need to check all local newspapers every day in the Classified or Legal Section. The court may also let you serve by text, email, or even social networks. But it does not mean action will not proceed. California Registered Process Servers Have a Limited Exemption to Trespass Law, Service May be Delivered to Competent Persons Over the Age of 18, Process Must be Served Within a Time Frame. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Child support documents cannot often be served by the individual who initiates the case; instead, they must be served by a third party. It can be tricky to serve papers. Hiring a professional can speed things up, though it's usually your most expensive option. Service by publication requires court approval. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. But, there may be exceptions based on how much each parent earns. Your process server may perform an act called drop service to someone who is avoiding service or confrontational. An offender who tries to refuse service creates undue pressure and delays. How Are Documents Requesting Child Support Served? Jason serves papers regulatory and for the last couple of years has served almost everything in Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Western Contra Costa Counties himself. You will be notified of the date and time for the hearing. You should contact a qualified mens divorce attorney, such as the divorce lawyers for men at Cordell and Cordell, to discuss the specific facts of your case, ensure that your petition is properly filed, and that the opposing party is properly served. Your email address will not be published. During criminal defense cases, you may wonder whether you are violating any rules when you avoid the process servers delivering these papers. With modern technology, there are many ways to track down a person and serve them. Your process server may perform an act called "drop service" to someone who is avoiding service or confrontational. If the opposing party lives in the county where the petition is filed, you or the Circuit Clerk will give the Summons to the sheriff to serve. The situations that lead someone to sue someone are typically hard, demanding, and depleting. Still also do your own research to ensure that the advice you receive is accurate. In some situations where the process server truly failed to serve you the court papers properly, the court cannot pass a judgment against you because it has no personal jurisdiction over you. We have a family member who has a court case and they cant find the notary who basically did something illegally. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/ee\/Reach-the-Masses-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Reach-the-Masses-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/ee\/Reach-the-Masses-Step-9.jpg\/aid4750728-v4-728px-Reach-the-Masses-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"