Frequently Asked Questions

A process server delivers legal documents, such as summonses, subpoenas, complaints, and other court documents, to the person who needs to receive them. We provide professional and confidential document service throughout our service area.

No. In Michigan, civil process may be served by any legally competent adult who is not a party to the case or an officer of a corporate party.

Standard Personal Service is $85 and includes up to 3 attempts. Travel is $0.93 per mile round trip from our Portage office, charged once per job, not per attempt. Rush Service adds $50 and Same-Day Service adds $75. Other services: Skip Trace $110, Posting/Alternate Service $75 plus travel, Courthouse Filing $75, and Address Verification $65. Call (269) 532-6672 with questions.

Standard Personal Service includes up to 3 attempts at different days and times. All 3 attempts are normally completed within 7–11 days. Rush service (3 attempts within 3–5 days) and same-day service are available.

If the subject refuses to accept service, we will document the unsuccessful attempt and provide the appropriate proof of non-service.The next step may be to request a motion for alternate service through the appropriate court. If alternate service is granted, the documents may be served using a method authorized by the court, which may include posting at the defendant’s or service address and/or sending the documents by First-Class Mail.Once the authorized alternate service has been completed, the appropriate proof of service will be provided for filing with the court.

We make up to 3 attempts at different days and times and document every attempt. A standard service file stays open for at least 10 days while the attempts are spread out, so a Proof of Non-Service reflects a genuine effort over time. If the person cannot be served, we provide a Proof of Non-Service that you can use when asking the court for alternate service. If the court authorizes it, documents may be served by posting at the address, First-Class Mail, or another court-approved method. Posting/Alternate Service is $75 plus travel. For questions about your specific case, call (269) 532-6672. For the full non-service package, see "What happens if the person cannot be served?"

Sometimes a person cannot be personally served. They are never home, they are avoiding service, the person at the door says they have moved or are not known there, or the address turns out to be wrong. On every job we also try to verify residency with the nearest neighbors. If we cannot complete personal service after 3 attempts, you will receive a proof of non-service affidavit documenting every attempt, showing the court that due diligence was made. We also include a completed motion for alternate service, with the attempt history already filled in, ready for you to file. Under Michigan court rules, when personal service cannot be completed, the court may approve another way of serving the documents, and the motion is the request that asks for it. If the court grants the motion, send us the signed order and we will post the documents as the order directs, including a mailed copy where the order requires one, for $75 plus travel. When the posting is complete, we provide photos of the posting and a new proof of service with the proof of posting affidavit. Once that proof is filed with the court, the documents are considered served.

If our server learns at the door that the person has moved or never lived at the address, we document it and let you know right away, including any new address we are given. If you provide a current address, your service fee carries over: you only pay the travel to the new address, and if the new address is within 5 miles of the original, there is no extra charge at all. Attempts at the new address start fresh.

For Standard Personal Service, up to 3 attempts are normally completed within 7–11 days. Rush Service: First attempt within 24–36 hours, with up to 3 attempts completed within 3–5 days. Same-Day Service: An attempt will be made the same day when the Same-Day option is selected.

A Proof of Service Affidavit documents that the requested documents were successfully served. After successful service, we normally provide a signed Proof of Service Affidavit by email.A notarized affidavit is available upon request for an additional $10. First-class mailing is also available upon request.

Yes. Service attempts may be made on different days and at different times as appropriate. Providing information about the subject's work schedule, usual hours at home, or other helpful details can help us determine the best times to attempt service.

A residential or work address must be provided for standard Personal Service. We do not locate the defendant or subject as part of standard Personal Service.If you need help locating someone, Skip Trace is available as a separate standalone service for $110. A full name and previous address are required.

We provide process serving throughout 12 counties in Southwest Michigan:Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Allegan, Barry, Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, Van Buren, Kent, Berrien, Eaton, and Ottawa.Visit our Service Areas page for more information about the areas we serve.

Start your service request through our online order/booking process. You will provide your contact information, service address, documents, deadline or requested timeframe, and any instructions for the service.If possible, also provide helpful information about the subject, such as their workplace, work schedule, usual home hours, photo, physical description, or vehicle details. This information is optional but can help us make successful service attempts more efficiently.Payment is required in full before work begins. All sales are final.

We can provide service for various legal documents, including summonses and complaints, subpoenas, family law documents, landlord/tenant documents, restraining orders/PPOs, foreclosure documents, and other documents requiring personal service.If you are unsure whether we can handle your documents, contact us before placing your order.

Substitute or alternate service is a different method of delivering legal documents when standard personal service has been unsuccessful and the court authorizes or permits another method of service.If personal service attempts are unsuccessful, we can provide a Proof of Non-Service documenting the attempts made. You may then use this documentation when requesting a motion for alternate service through the appropriate court.Once alternate service is authorized by the court, the documents may be served using a method permitted by the court, which may include posting at the defendant’s or service address, sending the documents by First-Class Mail, and/or publishing notice in a local newspaper.Court approval or authorization may be required before alternate service can be completed. Once the authorized service is completed, the appropriate Proof of Service can be provided for filing with the court. For the full non-service package, see "What happens if the person cannot be served?"

The client is responsible for filing the Proof of Service Affidavit with the courthouse after service has been completed. If you would like us to file it for you, Court Filing is available as a separate $75 service. Court Filing must be ordered separately after service has been completed.

A valid address is required for standard personal service. This may be a residential address or a place of employment or work address where the individual can be served.

We deliver court papers, and legally we cannot give legal advice. For plain-language Michigan guides and free do-it-yourself court form tools, visit Michigan Legal Help michiganlegalhelp.org. Their guide "How to Fill Out, Serve, and File Court Forms" walks through finding the right form, filling it out, filing it, and serving it. For the official text of Michigan's laws, see the Michigan Legislature at legislature.mi.gov. When your forms are ready to be served, please contact us or submit your request at https://www.lakemichiganprocessservers.com/contact.