Serving Businesses: A Guide to Proper Procedures and Best Practices
Serving Businesses: Key Steps and Guidelines
Each business must designate a person or company, known as a Registered Agent, to receive service of process on its behalf in any state they do business in. This agent can be an employee, attorney, law firm, or an external service provider.
When serving a business, always ask for the Registered Agent and confirm their name and position. If the Registered Agent’s name appears on the coversheet, they are typically the one to serve. In some cases, both the individual’s name and the business name may be listed.
📝 Note: When logging a service for a business, ensure your service notes include:
- Confirmation that the individual is authorized to accept documents on behalf of the business.
- Their name and title.
Failure to include this information may result in the service being deemed invalid and requiring re-service.
Other Individuals Who Can Accept Service for a Business
- A Corporate Officer (i.e.: CEO, COO, etc.)
- Any owner of the company
- Any individual authorized to accept service under local rule
If an employee is unsure whether they are authorized to accept service, do not serve them. Instead, check if someone authorized is available.
If no authorized person is present, retrieve the documents and inquire about the best time to attempt service again. Use the information provided to schedule a follow-up attempt. It's better to make another attempt than to risk invalid service.
Types of Documents You May Serve a Business
Wage Garnishments
Wage Garnishments must be delivered to the business or agency who has been instructed by the court to deliver a portion of an individual's wages to another party.
The business being served is responsible for accepting the documents even if the individual in question does not work there, as there are instructions within the documents for how they can notify the court.
Wage Garnishments can be delivered to the branch the individual works at or the headquarters of the company. Serving Wage Garnishments at a different address than the one provided may be possible when provided a more specific office of the same company.
Bank Levies
Bank Levies can only be served at a bank’s branch or headquarters. Any bank branch is authorized to accept the documents, and the teller, bank manager, or other employees must accept service without needing to verify the individual being levied. All bank branches can accept these documents.
FAQ About Serving a Business
Still got questions? Check out Common Questions About Serving Businesses