TAKE GOOD NOTES!!!

In this profession, it is not uncommon for a server to get hauled into court on a disputed serve. In my case it was a couple trying to get out of an Order of Examination. My client called me up and asked if I might be able to come with her to court because the Defendant's were disputing service. Unfortunately, the call came about one day before court and I was already locked into a job the morning court would be taking place. I told her I'd call her back so I could check my notes. The notes a process server takes during service, normally include the basics...date served, time served, address where it was served if different from the provided address, and a description of who was served. The job in question had taken place about 3 months ago and was just now being disputed, so if you're serving a lot of papers, it can be quite challenging to remember the exact details of a service that happened months back. That's why I take good notes!! After pulling my office copy and reviewing my notes, the serve came right back to me. I had very detailed descriptions of both parties served, the description of their house, and their entryway set up. I had vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers. I called my client back and told her that although I wouldn't be able to stand with her in court, I could give her a very detailed declaration of the service. We agreed that I would put together a declaration for the Judge to review if need be. I prepped my declaration, delivered it to my client, and waited to hear back from her about how court went the following day. Well, court went good! My very happy client called later in the afternoon to say that she was able to spot the Defendant's without even ever seeing them, just based on the descriptions provided in my declaration. She was confident in court and the judge didn't even need to see the declaration. She was able to ask all the questions she needed to about assets and didn't have to worry about her Judgment being thrown out. My advice to all those process servers out there, is to take good notes!! You never know when they'll come in handy! Less is never more in this profession. Take a detailed note down during service and you can always refer back to it months down the road if anything ever comes up.