If you are in the midst of a court case and you are not the originator of the lawsuit, you will need to be served with papers for the case to move forward. While it might seem like a good idea to avoid service so that the case can’t move forward, there are some consequences to doing so. Here’s why you shouldn’t avoid being served.
Details of the Case
Even if you know a case is coming, you won’t know the details of it unless you are served with legal papers. It is important to know these details so that you know how you should proceed. Not being served does not necessarily mean that the case doesn’t move forward. Judges will sometimes grant alternative methods of service such as newspaper classifieds if regular service methods fail. If that happens, you may be notified of the case with far fewer details, and the case will still move forward against you.
Right to Defend Yourself
The whole point of service of process is that you have a right to be notified of the case and given a chance to defend yourself in court. Don’t pass up this right to defend yourself. If alternative service is made, there is no guarantee that you will actually see notification of the court date. If you want to have any chance of coming out on the other side in a positive manner, you need to get the papers from a process server and react accordingly.
If you have papers that you need served, we can help. Contact us today for more information or to get started.
