Clear, plain English answers about Florida service of process, deadlines, costs, proof of service, and what to do when a defendant is evading service, from experienced process servers covering Florida wide coverage.
Service of process in Florida is performed by a sheriff or by a certified, court appointed process server under Florida Statutes Chapter 48. Every First Serve server holds the appointments required in the circuits where they work, so your summons, subpoena, or complaint is served by someone the court recognizes across Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, and every Florida county.
Yes. Florida permits substitute service at the defendant's usual place of abode with a co resident who is 15 or older, provided the required disclosures are made. Certain documents, injunctions, for example, demand personal service on the individual, and we flag those before we attempt so your service holds up.
Yes. Florida law allows service of process wherever the person is lawfully found, including a place of employment. Our Florida process servers handle workplace serves discreetly and professionally, so the defendant is served without unnecessary disruption or grounds to challenge the return.
You receive a court compliant return of service documenting who was served, when, where, and how, with a notarized affidavit when your case requires one. We can also file the return with the court on your behalf and retain GPS verified, time stamped evidence of every attempt in case service is ever contested.
First attempts are made within 24 to 48 hours of receiving your documents, with multiple follow up attempts at varied times, including evenings and Saturdays, to catch a defendant who keeps an unpredictable schedule.
Any job where a filing deadline or hearing date drives the schedule. Tell us the deadline and we dispatch to the nearest available server for attempts within hours across Florida's major metros. See Rush Process Serving.
Yes. Documents received by 2pm are attempted that same calendar day in Orlando, Tampa, Miami, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and other major Florida metros. See Same Day Service.
Saturdays, yes. Florida law generally prohibits service on Sundays, and specific document types carry additional day and time restrictions, we track and manage those rules for you so nothing gets quashed on a technicality.
Pricing depends on the county, the urgency of the deadline, and the number of addresses to attempt. We quote a flat fee up front, covering multiple attempts, before you commit, so there are no surprises whether you're serving in Orange, Seminole, Hillsborough, Miami Dade, or Duval County. Request a quote for exact pricing.
No. The quoted flat fee covers standard attempts, the court compliant return of service, and status updates. Add on work such as skip tracing or stakeout services is always quoted and approved before we proceed.
The service fee covers the diligent attempt work actually performed. If an address turns out to be bad, we tell you quickly and apply that diligence toward the next step, often a skip trace to locate a current address, wherever possible.
A court compliant return of service stating who was served, when, where, and how, with a notarized affidavit when applicable, formatted to the receiving court's requirements, delivered digitally, with the original available on request. It's court ready proof designed to keep your case moving instead of stalling on defective service.
Yes. Every attempt is backed by GPS coordinates, timestamps, and photos, and our servers are available to testify if a return is contested. That evidence trail is exactly what a Florida court expects when the sufficiency of service is questioned.
We deliver your court compliant return of service formatted to the receiving court's requirements and ready to e file with the clerk, so your deadline is met without a second trip to the courthouse.
Our licensed skip tracing team locates current residences and workplaces, usually within 24 to 72 hours, then serves immediately on the verified address. It's the fastest path to serving an evasive defendant anywhere in Florida.
Yes, for permissible purposes such as service of process, using lawful data sources in compliance with the FCRA, GLBA, and DPPA. Every trace we run supports a legitimate legal matter.
You receive a documented no locate report detailing everything checked, the diligent search record a Florida court expects before authorizing alternative service, such as service by publication.
We combine varied hour attempts, skip tracing, and, when the case warrants it, stakeout services to reach a defendant who is dodging service. Every attempt is logged with GPS and timestamps, building the diligence record that supports substitute or court ordered alternative service if personal service can't be completed.
We offer Florida wide service through our curated professional network, starting with Orlando and Central Florida, plus the Tampa Bay, Miami, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, and Fort Lauderdale metros. See our full service areas for county by county coverage.
Call us, a real dispatcher picks up during business hours.