As the requisite step after filing a complaint, process serving is a necessary element in litigation. This necessity raises the question: as a litigator, how do you choose a process server? Because the rates between service providers are generally uniform, your decision should boil down to more than costs. When choosing a process server, you should consider two factors: the communicativeness of your service provider and the convenience of managing your orders.

Process serving can be a lengthy exercise accompanied by court mandated deadlines. Lapses in communication can delay the commencement of litigation if not cause you to miss your deadlines altogether. As such, immediate and frequent updates from your process server are crucial to keeping your case on track.

Additionally, several service providers have separate portals for their court filing and process serving orders. Finding a support provider with an all-in-one platform will make it easier for your firm to place, track, and manage your process serving orders.

The addition of service providers as a facilitating party has transformed the process serving landscape. Now more than ever, it is vital to have clear lines of communication with your servers and a streamlined process by which you can track your orders. Since service rates are largely the same, the implicit costs are where the difference lies and thus what you should evaluate when choosing your process servers.