Billy Joel released The Stranger album in 1977, just as I was starting the first grade. It wasn’t until I was in high school that this album truly became one of my favorites, and
Get it right the first time– that’s the main thing.
There is no such thing as informal service.
Seriously. It doesn’t exist.
At least, not in the common law world. Sure, in civil law jurisdictions it might, depending on your definition of informality, but in those places, “informal” is a term of art, and it relies entirely on the defendant’s willingness to play
Hague Service Convention proof supersedes local rules.
[Details have been changed to protect the innocent. Some variant of this story happens routinely— at least every couple of months.]
A few weeks ago, I received a Hague Certificate following a request that I’d sent on a client’s behalf to a foreign Central
Home address… just get it.
“The defendant works at…”
Hmm. Do you happen to have a home address?
“No, just his office.”
Let’s hope he’s there. And that we can get in the door…
That exchange happens between lawyers and process servers daily. And it’s a challenge, because defendants can’t be served
Big Announcement: Hague Service Request Automation
Since the beginning, the primary purpose of this blog has been to educate the practicing bar on the practical application of the Hague Service Convention. While we’re happy to give away the recipe to the Special Sauce (there’s no secret about this stuff, really), we’ve been lucky to have a whole bunch of great people
Hague service and documents under seal.
Yet another “FAQ” post, if you will…
“Hey, Aaron, the complaint is under seal, and the judge has ordered me to instruct the process server that he’s under the same obligation as I am.”
I respond: Well, that’s all fine and good,
How to Serve Process in Jamaica
Squarely in the heart of the Caribbean Sea lies an island that has played host to countless movies, spring break junkets, and movies about spring break junkets. The mere mention of Jamaica conjures images of Bob Marley, cabanas under palm trees, and scantily clad beachgoers
No, the U.S. court doesn’t get to appoint a process server overseas.
A routine question from clients across the continent– especially those in my own state*: “Hey, Aaron, the clerk says I have to tell the court
Certified copies? Nope. Not needed.
Client queries: “hey, Aaron, the clerk says the Hague Service Convention requires certified copies of the Summons and Complaint and something called an Apostille. Where do I get that?”
I get some variant
Governing law: WHAT gets served, and HOW it gets served.
The most common question I get, aside from “how much is this going to cost?” and “how long will this take?” is this:
“What does the Hague Service Convention require me to serve?”
The quick answer: nothing.
No, really. The Convention doesn’t require service of anything in particular– it’s a roadmap, rather than a