When Can You Serve Papers in Florida?

If you have a defendant or respondent in your case that is difficult to locate, you might be wondering how you can help the process server catch them to have the papers served. There are some legal regulations in Florida that dictate when and where a person can be served with court papers. Here’s what you need to know.

No Sundays

You cannot serve court papers on a Sunday in the state of Florida. If your respondent is only in town on Sundays or is only at home on Sundays, you could have difficulty getting them served. It is important to do what you can to find other days of the week where they can be found to be served.

No Holidays

Is your respondent currently away at college, maintaining a second home in another state, or otherwise only in your local area on holidays? You may have a hard time getting them served in the normal fashion. Florida law also prohibits service of process on holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Any national holiday is forbidden for service of process.

Restrictions on Location

There is one primary restriction on the location that your party can be served in Florida. Florida law states that you cannot serve papers to an individual who is traveling to or from other court proceedings. This means that if you know your party will be at the courthouse at a certain date and time, you cannot use this information to serve them papers in your case.

If you are looking for a private process server familiar with all of Florida’s laws and regulations about service of process, contact us today for more information or to get started.