WHAT DO PROCESS SERVERS IN MAINE DO?

This article will provide guidance on What Due Process Servers in Maine Do? In Maine, process servers are responsible for delivering legal documents to individuals and businesses involved in legal proceedings. Process servers are responsible for serving summonses and other documents to individuals sued or required to appear in court. Click Here for Frequently Asked Questions About Process Servers!

Our Undisputed Legal process servers may be hired to deliver legal notices by individuals or businesses. In addition to delivering legal documents, Undisputed Legal may also be responsible for filing court documents on behalf of their clients. We also provide skip tracing services, so our Undisputed Legal servers may be asked to locate individuals who are difficult to find in order to serve them with legal documents. Click here for information on How Rush Process Service Can Expedite Your Case.

FILLING OUT A SUMMONS IN MAINE

The summons must be signed or verified by a facsimile signature of the clerk, have the court’s official seal affixed, identify the court and the parties, be addressed to the defendant, including the attorney for the plaintiff, and the date by which the defendant must appear and defend, and inform the defendant that if they fail to do so, the plaintiff will be entitled to a default judgment against the defendant. Click here for information on How Service of Process Ensures A Solid Foundation.

The summons, in blank form, may be obtained from the clerk and will then be completed by the plaintiff’s counsel. The original summons, with which to file the return of service, and a copy of the summons and the complaint to be served to the defendant, will be provided by the plaintiff’s counsel. A copy of the summons and complaint, two copies of a notice and acknowledgment form, and a postage-paid envelope addressed to the sender may be served via first-class mail.  Click here for information on How Process Servers Protect Your Rights: Myths Debunked

A process server must hand-deliver court papers to a defendant. It is not always possible to send these documents to the party in a court dispute since that individual may later claim they never got them. Instead, the individual must be personally served with the documents. Both their home and place of employment are potential venues for such an event to take place in. The papers inform the individual being served of when and why they must appear in court. 

Suppose you are involved in a legal matter in Maine. In that case, it is important to have a process server in order to ensure that all legal documents are properly served and that due process is followed.  By hiring an Undisputed Legal process server, you can ensure that all legal documents are properly served on the appropriate parties. This can include summonses, complaints, subpoenas, and court orders. Proper service of legal documents is important because it ensures that all parties are aware of the legal proceedings and have the opportunity to respond.

In Maine, there are specific rules and requirements for how legal documents must be served. A process server is trained and knowledgeable in these requirements and can ensure that all legal documents are served in compliance with the law. This is where hiring a private process server like those at Undisputed Legal is a dependable option.

Service of the summons and complaint must occur simultaneously. Upon a person who is not a minor or an incapacitated person, service is done by personally delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to the person or by leaving copies thereof at the person’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person of suitable age and discretion then residing therein. County service is accomplished by presenting the summons and complaint to a county official, such as a commissioner, clerk, or treasurer. A town may be served by giving a copy of the summons and complaint to the town clerk, a selectman, or an assessor. A party may serve a city with a summons and complaint by giving them to the city’s clerk, treasurer, or manager.

Process servers in Maine play a critical role in the legal system by ensuring that all parties involved in a legal proceeding are properly notified and served with the necessary documents. Our Undisputed Legal servers offer three levels of service [A.] Routine Service, where the process server will make their first attempt at service within five to seven days, [B.] Rush Service, where the process server will make their first attempt at service within forty-eight hours and [C.] service by mail, where documents will be sent within twenty-four hours of receipt. Bear in mind the only aspect that changes in all the options of service is the duration itself. All our process servers in Maine will make up to three attempts to serve your documents during the morning, afternoon, and evening, regardless of your chosen service. 

WHY HIRE A PRIVATE PROCESS SERVER IN MAINE

A professional process server in Maine is familiar with the state’s civil procedure standards. Because of the complexity of Maine’s civil procedure regulations, it’s important to work with a process server who will give your case the attention it deserves. If you need legal papers served in Maine, you should choose a process server that can show they are familiar with the state’s rules and procedures. We recommend you hire an experienced process server like Undisputed Legal since doing so might compromise the validity of your case. In addition, process servers in Maine may deliver your papers promptly and carefully. They are familiar with the locals and the nuances of Maine legislation.

Of course, it might be difficult for a process server to locate a target when that target is aware that they may be served with papers. Therefore, there’s more to a process server’s duties than merely delivering documents. Spending the time and effort to figure out the most effective means of locating the defendant and serving the papers is a necessary part of the process. Undisputed Legal’s private process servers in Maine specialize in skip tracing, and we can serve even the most elusive defendants.

Several municipalities, especially those with smaller populations, have the sheriff’s office deliver legal documents. Unfortunately, these sections are usually preoccupied with other concerns and cannot manage the distribution of documents. Instead, it is the responsibility of the process servers to carry out this function. At Undisputed Legal, we take responsibility for your papers. Our process servers complete the proof of service forms and submit them to the court once they have completed the service of process. This is proof that the defendant has been served. The notarized affidavit will then be sent to the individual or law firm that retained the process server’s services. Many instances also need the ability for process servers in Maine to submit court documents on their client’s behalf.

Our repertoire of documents to serve in a lawsuit is extensive. Landlord/tenant agreements, subpoenas, complaints, and summonses are only a few examples of the papers that might be served. Process servers also include the delivery of other legal documents such as summonses, complaints, garnishments, divorce decrees, child support agreements, restraining orders, and collection letters.

In Maine, alternate forms of service may be used in situations where traditional methods of service are not possible or have been unsuccessful.  In some situations, legal documents can be served by mail. This can include situations where the recipient cannot be located or is avoiding service. However, there are specific requirements for how service by mail must be conducted, including the use of certified mail and the return receipt requested.

 If the individual or business to be served cannot be located, service by publication may be used. This involves publishing notice of the legal proceedings in a newspaper or other publication for a specified period. The order for publication will require [A.]  a short explanation of the goal of the action; [B.] a description of any property or credits of the defendant, if the action may impact any such property or credits; and [C.] the content of the summons itself. A copy of the order as published must be sent to the defendant if the defendant’s address is available. The order must be directly published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a specified newspaper of broad distribution in the county where the action is proceeding.

Within twenty days of the order being issued, the summons must be published for the first time. On the twenty-first day after the initial publication, service by publishing is considered complete. After publication, the plaintiff must submit an affidavit to the court as proof.

PROOF OF SERVICE

Proof of service should be made on the original process or a document affixed to it by the person serving the process. and immediately given over to the lawyer representing the plaintiff. The plaintiff’s counsel must provide the evidence of service to the court before the deadline by which the person served must reply to the lawsuit. The plaintiff must file the acknowledgment received with the court as proof of service.  This acknowledgment is called an affidavit of service. An affidavit is a sworn statement signed by the process server indicating that they have served the legal documents to the appropriate parties. The affidavit typically includes details about the time, place, and method of service.

When an attorney submits evidence of service to the court, they represent that the copy of the complaint they sent to the person being served or given to the officer for service was genuine. Proof of service must be made by affidavit if the process server is not a sheriff, sheriff’s deputy, or other person authorized by law to make the delivery. The copy left with the defendant or other party should be dated by the officer or other person serving process. The service date need not be endorsed in order to be legitimate.

Whether it is a summons and complaint, divorce papers, family court paperwork, subpoena, citation, small claims court case, order to show cause, petition, discovery document, eviction, landlord or tenant notice, motion, or anything else, our Undisputed Legal process servers in Maine can handle it all. We are a complete process-serving agency in Maine, serving government entities at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as private law offices, lawyers, and members of the public.

OUT-OF-STATE SERVICE IN MAINE

Before attempting out-of-state service in Maine, it is important to determine whether Maine has jurisdiction over the individual or business to be served. If Maine does not have jurisdiction, then the court may not recognize the service as valid. Out-of-state service in Maine must be conducted in compliance with Maine law and any applicable federal law. This may require following specific rules for service, such as using a particular method of service or providing notice to the individual or business before attempting service.

Out-of-state service in Maine may involve interstate service (service on individuals or businesses in another state) or international service (service on individuals or businesses in another country). The requirements for interstate and international service can vary depending on the location of the individual or business to be served, so it is important to involve your private process server to understand the appropriate method of service. Any person authorized to serve civil process by the laws of the place of service or a person specially appointed to serve it may serve a person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state with a summons and complaint outside the state, in the same manner as if such service were made within the state. The individual effecting service must submit an affidavit to the court detailing the service’s time, method, and location. Such service is as binding as if performed in person inside the state.

In some cases, out-of-state service in Maine may be conducted by mail. However, there are specific requirements for service by mail, such as using certified mail with return receipts requested. In some cases, service may be made by mail to an address outside of the state. Service of a summons and complaint against a person subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state may be effected upon such person by delivery to a such person outside the state by registered or certified mail, with limited delivery and return receipt requested.

Service by registered or certified mail will be effective upon delivery and signature of the return receipt or upon refusal of delivery, provided that the plaintiff shall file with the court either the return receipt or, if acceptance was refused, an affidavit that upon notice of such refusal a copy of the summons and complaint was sent to the defendant by ordinary mail.

Choosing a skilled and experienced process server near where documents need to be served in Maine is important. As process servers deal with sensitive legal papers, it is important to use Undisputed Legal to choose a reliable process server. Our process servers at Undisputed Law are thoroughly vetted before they ever start working for you. We ensure that you are always kept in the loop with your documents, providing GPS affidavits of service as well as personalized email real-time updates. We ensure that you are able to keep track of exactly where your documents are, and new customers will also get a free basic skip trace!

OUR PROCESS

Documents can be faxed at (800) 296-0115, emailed to ps@undisputedlegal.com, or uploaded on our website. We do require prepayment and accept all major credit and debit cards. Once payment is processed, your sales receipt is immediately emailed for your records.

Drop-offs must call and make an appointment first to be added to building security to permit access to our office. Documents for service must be in a sealed envelope with payment in the form of a money order or attorney check (WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH) payable to UNDISPUTED LEGAL INC.; Our receptionist receives all documents.

DOMESTIC COVERAGE AREAS:

Alaska | Alabama | Arkansas | Arizona | California | Colorado | Connecticut | District of Columbia | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Iowa | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Maine | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | North Carolina | North Dakota | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | Nevada | New York | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Vermont | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE AREAS:

Albania | Andorra | Anguilla | Antigua | Argentina | Armenia | Australia | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bahamas | Barbados| Belarus | Belgium | Belize | Bermuda | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil | British Honduras | British Virgin Islands | Bulgaria | Canada | Cayman Islands | Central and Southern Line Islands | Chile|China (Macao) | China People’s Republic | Colombia | Costa Rica | Country of Georgia | Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | Egypt | Estonia | Falkland Islands and Dependences | Fiji | Finland | France | Germany | Gibraltar | Gilbert and Ellice Islands | Greece | Guernsey | Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland | India | Ireland| Isle of Man | Israel | Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jersey Channel Islands | Jordan | Kazakhstan | Korea | Kuwait | Latvia| Lithuania | Luxembourg | Malawi | Malaysia | Malta | Mauritius | Mexico| MonacoMontenegro | Montserrat | Morocco | Namibia | Netherlands | New Zealand|Nicaragua | Norway | Pakistan | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Pitcairn |Poland | Portugal | Republic of Moldova | Republic of North Macedonia | Romania |Russian Federation | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | San Marino | Saudi Arabia | Serbia | Seychelles | Singapore| Slovakia| Slovenia | South Africa | Spain | Sri Lanka | St. Helena and Dependencies | St. Lucia | Sweden | Switzerland | Taiwan | Thailand | Tunisia| Turkey | Turks and Caicos Islands| UkraineUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Uruguay| US Virgin Islands | Uzbekistan | Venezuela | Vietnam

OFFICE LOCATIONS

New York: (212) 203-8001 – 590 Madison Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10022
Brooklyn: (347) 983-5436 – 300 Cadman Plaza West, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Queens: (646) 357-3005 – 118-35 Queens Blvd, Suite 400, Forest Hills, New York 11375
Long Island: (516) 208-4577 – 626 RXR Plaza, 6th Floor, Uniondale, New York 11556
Westchester: (914) 414-0877 – 50 Main Street, 10th Floor, White Plains, New York 10606
Connecticut: (203) 489-2940 – 500 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 400, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
New Jersey: (201) 630-0114 – 101 Hudson Street, 21 Floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Washington DC: (202) 655-4450 – 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 300, Washington DC 20004

Simply pick up the phone and call Toll Free (800) 774-6922 or click the service you want to purchase. Our dedicated team of professionals is ready to assist you. We can handle all your process service needs; no job is too small or too large!  For a complete list of our Maine Process Service Coverage Areas, Click Here!

Contact us for more information about our process-serving agency. We are ready to provide service of process to all our clients globally from our offices in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives”– Foster, William A

Sources

1. Personal service of a summons and complaint may be made upon a minor by delivering a copy of each to the minor and the minor’s guardian if the minor has one within the state and is known to the plaintiff; if the minor does not have a guardian, service may be made upon the minor’s father or mother or other person having the minor’s care or control, or with whom the minor resides.

2. Or upon an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process, by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to the agent, provided that if the agent is If the defendant cannot be served as described above through reasonable efforts, the court may, upon motion, direct that service is made by leaving a copy of the summons and complaint at the defendant’s residence or usual place of abode; or by the publication of this rule, if the court determines that publication is more effective.

3. Service may be made upon a foreign corporation by personal delivery of a copy of the summons and complaint to any officer, director, or agent or by leaving such copies at an office or place of business of the corporation within the state; or upon a foreign corporation by personal delivery of a copy of the summons and complaint to any agent or attorney authorized by appointment or by statute to receive or accept service of process on behalf of the corporation, provided that such person is located within the state.

4. Unless it seems that considerable injury would arise to the substantial rights of the person against whom the process was issued, the court may, at any time in its discretion and under such conditions as it considers reasonable allow any process or evidence of service thereof to be changed.

5. To obtain a judgment for divorce or a declaration of nullity of marriage; to obtain a judgment excluding the person to be served from a vested or contingent interest in or lien upon specific real or personal property within the state; to enforce, regulate, define, or limit such interest or lien in favor of either party; or to otherwise affect the title to any property.

BLOG DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein has been prepared in compliance with Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works. The articles/Images contained herein serve as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, educational, and research-as examples of activities that qualify as fair use. Undisputed Legal Inc. is a Process Service Agency and “Not A Law Firm” therefore the articles/images contained herein are for educational purposes only, and not intended as legal advice.