Who Is Allowed to Deliver Legal Documents in Florida?

When you have a legal case against an individual or company, you have to have them served with legal papers so that they are notified of the case and have a chance to defend themselves. But this service cannot be handled by just anyone. According to Florida law, there are limited people that can serve papers in the state. Here’s who can serve papers.

Sheriff’s Department

The sheriff’s department of any county in Florida can serve legal papers. There is a fee, just as if you used a private process server. The sheriff’s department has a lot of other more pressing responsibilities though. So if you opt for this route, it could delay your case going to court. Sheriff’s departments also don’t spend a lot of time tracking people down to be served. So if investigation is needed, they might not have the resources to help you.

Private Process Servers

Private process servers in the state of Florida have to be approved and registered with the courts. These process servers must not have any legal or mental disability that keeps them from accurately serving papers. They must be over 18 and registered with the courts, and they must keep their registration up to date. If you have anyone serve papers who is not registered with the courts, the service will be invalid.

One Exception

There is one exception to this rule. Eviction notices can be served by anyone with the property management company or any other individual. The initial three-day or seven-day eviction notice can be posted to the door by pretty much anyone. If the demands are not met within the time frame, you will have to file papers with the court, and these will have to be served by the sheriff or private process server.

If you have questions about who can serve your legal papers, we can help. Contact us today for more information or to get started.