What Every Attorney Should Know Before Hiring a Process Server

Not all process servers deliver the same quality. And in legal work, the gap between a well-documented serve and a defective one can cost a case. Here's the checklist every law firm should run before handing an assignment to any process server.

1. Verify State Agency Licensure

Missouri requires PI Agency licensure for professional process serving companies. Before using any agency, verify their current license through the Missouri Division of Professional Registration (pr.mo.gov). An unlicensed operation has no regulatory accountability and creates risk for your client's case.

Ask for the license number and verify it yourself — don't take it on faith.

2. Ask About Documentation Standards

The minimum documentation is a signed affidavit of service. That's not enough in contested matters. Ask specifically:

• Do you use body cameras on every attempt?
• Are attempts GPS-timestamped?
• Do you provide attempt logs as part of your affidavit?
• What is your affidavit format, and have your affidavits been challenged successfully?

3. Understand Their Evasive Defendant Protocol

For straightforward serves, almost any licensed server will do. The real test is what happens when the defendant is evasive. Ask specifically:

• How many attempts do you make before recommending alternative service?
• Do you vary attempt times?
• Do you have skip tracing capability for defendants who have moved?
• What does your affidavit of diligence look like?

A process server who makes two attempts at noon on weekdays and then declares the defendant unservable is not an adequate partner for contested matters.

4. Confirm Insurance

A licensed process serving agency should carry professional liability insurance. If something goes wrong — a wrongful service, a confrontation that results in a complaint — insurance protects both the agency and, indirectly, your client relationship.

5. Evaluate Communication and Reporting

How will you know when attempts are being made? How quickly are you notified when service is complete? Does the agency provide a real-time client portal, or does status depend on you making phone calls?

In active litigation, service status is time-sensitive. An agency that goes silent between assignment and completed serve is a liability in deadline-driven matters.

6. Nationwide Capability Without Compromising Local Standards

If your cases require service outside the agency's local market, understand how they handle it. Blind routing to unknown contractors is not adequate. An agency with a vetted affiliate network that applies consistent documentation standards is a different proposition.

How Faithful Path Measures Up

Missouri Agency License #2025036830 ✓ | Body cameras every attempt ✓ | GPS-timestamped logs ✓ | Skip tracing capability ✓ | Real-time client portal via AgencyDispatch ✓ | Nationwide affiliate network ✓

To establish a working relationship for your firm's process serving needs, contact us at (877) 331-4374.