Helpful Hints for Process Service

When Serving an Individual or Marital Community:

• Feel free to e-mail your service documents to our office.
• Always indicate the “report status by” date on our process service order form.
• If applicable, always indicate the Statute of Limitations Date if time is running short.
• Always indicate the “serve by” date on our process service order form.
• Make sure to attach a copy of the summons so that we can attach it to our affidavit of service.
• Please attach all face sheets of the documents that we are going to serve, so that our proof of service is accurate.
• Please try to provide us with a middle name or initial, date of birth, social security number, last known address, or any other identifying data pertaining to the subject.
• If we are serving two or more defendants at the same address, please make sure to attach the appropriate number of sets of service documents.
• Please be clear whether you require personal service or if “abode” service is acceptable. Please see RCW 4.28.080 for guidelines
• Please include a witness fee check, payable to any witness on any subpoena you are serving. See our witness fee guidelines page for proper amounts.
• If we are serving a hostile party, known to be evasive or violent, or they are known to contest service, please advise Sting Ray Legal Services, Inc. so that we can take a proactive and cost-saving approach to completing this assignment.

When Serving Any Business Entity, Sole Proprietorship Corporation, LLC, or LLP:

• Make sure the name of the business is pled exactly how it appears on the Secretary of State’s-Corporations Division website, or at the Department of Revenue’s website. Some registered agent offices may reject service of process if the business entity is not correctly pled.
• When serving a Registered agent, please indicate the name of the Registered Agent on the summons and on our work order exactly how it appears on the Secretary of State’s Corporation Division website.
• Please indicate which individuals in a business entity and their respective title or position that your state allows to be served.
  Sometimes “duplicate service” is a preferred method of serving a corporation, or other business entity. In these instances, we serve not only the registered agent, but also a corporate officer, and secretary or office assistant thereto. This method is useful if a company has a history of contesting process service, or if it is not clear, or they are concealing who they really are. Sometimes it will strengthen your case if you “pierce the corporate veil.”
• Since the true legal entity of a sole proprietorship is the person who owns it, “substitute” or “abode” service is permitted. So, it is like serving a named defendant. So, the pleading should read John Smith, d/b/a Pool Service Supply.
• When we serve a registered agent office, business, or law office, etc, we will always date stamp our paperwork and try to obtain a business card.