Why DIY Just Won’t Do For Legal Documents

In the days of austerity, it would be easy to think that savings can be made by delivering legal documents by courier or some other untrained person. However, asking a co-worker or friend to do this is a risky business. Alternatively, process servers in London offer a comprehensive service and work for a fixed, pre-agreed fee, allowing you to avoid any potential issues.

Asking a Co-Worker, Friend or Relative

There are blogs on our website which show the attributes of professional process servers and the occasions when their specialist service is by far the best option. Quite clearly if you are the one taking the legal action, you can’t be the one serving the legal documentation. However, you may feel that a co-worker, family member or friend has got what it takes, particularly if you know exactly where the recipient is and it appears relatively straight-forward.

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However, here are just a few reasons why you might want to rethink this choice.

Do You Know the Pitfalls?

One of the most important ones is how easily your chosen representative could fall foul of the law if the legal paperwork is not served correctly. Do you know the Data Protection and Human Rights legislation that applies in this situation?

If you are linked to the case – as legal counsel or a friend/colleague/relative of the applicant – can you prove to the court that the paperwork was served in an impartial and professional manner? The court will give more credibility to proof of service from an independent and unbiased third party.

Do you know the law on alternative ways to serve legal documents if the primary recipient proves illusive or a confrontation starts brewing? There are occasions when papers can be delivered to registered business addresses, a secretary or the home addresses of a recipient; but knowing when this is appropriate is a bit of a minefield.

Legal Matters Often Mean High Emotion

Lastly, if you throw a friend, family member or courier into a potentially emotional situation when serving the legal documentation, it may get the job done but it can be a deeply unpleasant experience. Would you want an untrained and inexperienced person stepping in to a potentially tense or even aggressive situation?

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For peace of mind and making sure all the right boxes are ticked to avoid any come-back, DIY just won’t do for serving the vast majority of legal documents. Using a professional process server is the best option, and the fees are a sound investment.

Contact us at Process Serve UK to discuss ways of keeping fees transparent and affordable.

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